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A    New    Indvistry, 


R.aising  the  Angora  Goat,  and  Mohair,  for  Profit. 


Embracing    the  Historical,  Commercial,  and  Practical  Features  of  the 

Industry;  together  with  Notes  from  a  number  of  Practical 

Breeders  giving  their  experience  in  handling  the 

animal;  with  Tables  showing  the  great 


Profit  in  Ra^ising  the  Angora.,  or  Mohair,  Goatt, 


A  number  of  Letters  from  Farmers,  and  Ranchmen,  in  Iowa,  Oregon,  California,  and 
other  States,  concerning  the  utility  of  the  Angora  Goat  in 


Clearing  Brushy  Land,  and  How  the  Work  is  Done. 

Care  and  Marvagenrvervt  of  Goats, 
How    to    Grade    Up    the    Common    Mexica-n    GoaLt, 


Appendix 

Containing  a  Paper  on  the  celebrated  "Cashmere  Goat"  of  Asia;    the  "Llama"  and 

"Alpaca"  of  Peru,  in  South  America;  the  "Rocky  Mountain  Goat" 

of  the  United  States,  and  the  "ibex"  of  Asia. 


Dressing    the    Angora.     Goat    Skin 


Fully  Illustrated. 


WM.  L.  BLACK,  OF  TEXAS. 


Copyright,  1900, 

BY 

Wm,  L.  Black. 


THOSE  ENTEKPRISING  AND  PERSEVEKING  CITIZENS 
OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

WHO,  WITHOUT  UOVEBNMENTAI.  ASSISTANCE,  HAVE  LAID  THE 

FOUNDATION  FOR  A  BRANCH 

TO  OUR 

AGRICULTURAL  INDUSTRY, 

IN  THE  RAISING  OF  THE  ANGORA  GOAT,  AND  MOHAIR, 

WHICH  PROMISES  TO  BE 

OF  GREAT 

NATIONAL   BENEFIT, 

THIS  WORK  IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

BY  THE 

AUTHOR. 


f  fcT         «»"« 


Table  of  Contents. 


p.\(;e 
Introductory     remarks     1 — 22 

HISTORICAL. 

(HAP. 

I.   Wlien.  wlicrc  and  how.  did  the  Angora  goat  originate...  'l'> 

II.   The    Province    of    Angora 31 

III.  Distrlnition  of  the  Angora  goat   into  other  countries....  34 

IV.  Character   of   the    early    Angora    goat 4U 

V.   Introduction  of  the  Angora  goat  into  tlie   United   States.  45 

VI.   Subsequent  importatons  into  the   United   States 48 

VII.  Spread   of  the   Angora   goat   industry   throughout   the 

various    States    and    Territories 'yl 

VIII.   Census  of  .Angora  goats  in  the  United  States 1<>3 

IX.    Why  the  industry  has  made  such  slow  progress  in  the 

United  States  and  what  we  can  expect  in  the  future.  !<•!• 
X.   Concerning  the  manufacture  of  Mohair  in  Asia  ]\Iinor. 

England    and    the    United    States 117 

COMMERCIAL. 

.XI.   Where  to  sell   INIohair  and  how  it   is  graded 13.") 

XII.   How    to    prepare    ]\lohair    for    market 145 

XIII.  The  trade  in  Angora  goat   skins  and   how  to  prepare 

them    for    market 147 

XIV.  Concentrating    upon    one    market 151 

XV.  Angora   venison,   as   a    salable   product 154 

XVI.   Is   there    any    danger    from    over-production 15!) 

XVII.  Tariff  on   Alohair.   live  goats,   and   Angora   skins liil 

PRACTICAL. 

XVIII.  The    science    of    breeding,    our    past    exi)erience.    and 
the  result  of  crossing  the  common   goat  with  the 

Angora    173 

XIX    Cross  breeding,  or  how  to  grade  up  the  ^Mexican   goat.  .  "243 


Table  of  Contents     Continued. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

XX.   Proper  terms   for  Angora   goats "iGS 

XXI.   Profit    in    raising   the    Angora    goat 2(j7 

XXII.   Incidental  or  by-products  of  the  Angora  goat "iTli 

XXIII.  Where  to  raise  the  Angora  goat  to  greatest  advantage.  .  '292 

XXIV.  Where  the  Angora  goat  can  be  purchased,  with  state- 

ments  from   breeders  about   the   shearing   capacity   of 

their    goats 306 

XV.   Clearing  brushy  land  and  how  the  work  is  cone 347 

XXVI.   How  to  tell  the  age  of  an  Angora  goat 372 

XXVII.   How  to  feed  Angora  goats   for  market 374 

XXVIII.   Diseases  of  the   Angora   goat 370 

XXIX.   Care   and   management   of  the   Angora   goat 384 

XXX.   Notes    from    practical    breeders 401 

XXXI.   Is  it  advisable  to  start  a  register  for  Angora  goats 438 

APPENDIX. 

A   paper   on   ihe   Cashmere   goat   of   Asia 451 

A  paper  on  the  Rocky  Mountain  goat  of  the  United  States  45i> 

A  paper  on  the  Llama  and  Alpaca  of  Peru,  S.  A 4(i3 

A   paper   on   the    Ibex   of   Asia 477 

Formula  for  dressing  the  Angora  goat  skin  with  the 

hair   on    451 

Index     48li 


Index  to  Illustrations. 


PAGE 

"Two    Pretty    Kids" 8 

A    pleasant    ride 24 

Dr.   James    B.    Davis 44 

Col.    Richard    Peters 57 

Col.    W.    W.     Haupt 73 

\Vm.     M..    Landrum 81 

John    S.     Harris 87 

Dr.  J.    R.    Standley 99 

PLATK 

II.  Ancient    method    of    weaving    mohair IIU 

"Getting    ready    for    market" 134 

"On    the    drive" 172 

III.  Residence  of  the   late   Dr.   James   B.    Davis 175 

IV.  Male    "Cashmere"    goat 189 

V.  Female    "Cashmere"    goat 193 

VI.   Off-colored    Angora    goats "iUSJ 

\'n.  Group   of  non-shedding  does 219 

VIII.  Non-shedding    Angora    buck 225 

IX.   Hornless    buck    "Dewey"    and    two    kids 233 

S.    S.    McKibben 237 

X.   Mexican   doe   and  two  Angora   kids 244 

XI.  Second   cross   on   the   Mexican   goat 24() 

XIT.  Third   cross    on   the    ^.lexican    goat 247 

XIII.  Fourth   cross   on   the    Mexican   goat 248 

XIV.  Grade    Angora    buck 251 

XV.   Full-blood    yearling    An;:;o."a    buck '-o3 

XVI.   Full-blood    Angora    aot -57 

.XVII.   Two    full-blood    .-Xngftia    doLS Jiil 

XVIII.   Hearth  rugs  made  from  .\ngora  goat  sxins 277 

XIX.  Angora    goats    clearing    brushy    land 349 

XX.  A  portion  of  500  acres  of  land  cleared  by  Angora  goats.  .  353 

XXI.  ..\  portion  of  500  acres  of  land  cleared  by  Angora  goats.  .  357 

XXII.  Field  cleared  of  brush  by  Angora  goats  (Edwards) 363 


Index  to  Illustrations— Continued. 


PLATE  PAGE 

XXIII.  Group  of  thoroughbred  Angora  goats   (Ham  &   Baylor).   307 

XXIV.  Two  thoroughbred  bucks  and  one  doe  (Ham  &  Baylor)..  311 
XXV.  Thoroughbred    Angora    buck    (Hughes) 314 

XXVI.  Thoroughbred   three-year-old   doe    (Hughes) 315 

XXVII.  Angora    buck,    twenty-one    months    old    (Arnold) 317 

XXVIII.  A   group  of  yearling  Angora  goats   (Fuchs) 321 

XXIX.  A  group  of  thoroughbred  Angora  does  (Houck). 325 

XXX.  Thoroughbred  Angora  doe,  yearling  and  kid   (Conk- 

lin    Bros.)     329 

XXXI.  Group    of   Angora    goats    (Hightower) 333 

XXXII.  Yearling   Angora    Buck    (Taylor)     335 

XXXIII.  Thoroughbred   Angora   does,   twenty-one   months   old 

(Standley)     337 

XXXIV.  Flock  of  thoroughbred   Angora  goats   (Harris) 341 

XXXV.   Group  of  thoroughbred  Angora  goats   (Harris) 345 

XXXVI.  Thoroughbred  Angora  kids,   after   weaning   (Harris) 385 

XXXVII.  A    doe    bringing   her    kid   to    camp 398 

XXXVIII.  Dug    out     132 

XXXIX.   Portable    camping    outfit 170 

XL.  Cashmere     (doe)     goat 454 

XLI.   Rocky    Mountain    goats 462 

XLII.  Group    of    Alpacas 466 

XLIII.  Ibex     480 


TWO  PRETTY  KIDS. 


PREFACE. 

When  this  work  was  commenced,  in  the  early  part  of  1899, 
it  was  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  a  demand  for  information 
from  farmers  in  the  Northern  states,  whose  attention  had  been 
called  to  the  Angora  Goat  as  a  Brush  Exterminator.  They  had 
heard  of  the  wonderful  saving  of  labor  in  clearing  away  briers, 
and  brush,  by  the  use  of  this  animal,  and  many  were  anxious 
to  purchase  some,  but  were  totally  ignorant  of  their  habits,  and 
how  to  breed  them.  The  great  call  for  information,  touching 
these  questions  prompted  me  to  write  a  complete  manual, 
through  which  a  stranger  might  understand  how  they  are  han- 
dled ;  and,  as  I  pursued  my  work,  I  learned  of  the  existence  of  a 
non-shedding  type  of  Angora,  as  well  as  a  hornless  variety,, 
which  I  considered  to  be  of  such  importance  to  the  old  breeders, 
in  the  industry  that  I  determined  to  delay  its  pubHcation  until 
I  could  investigate  more  fully  into  the  merit  of  the  matter.  I 
distributed  a  large  number  of  question-blanks  over  all  the  States, 
that  had  been  raising  them,  asking  breeders  if  they  had  ever 
observed  any  such  types  of  goats  in  their  flocks,  and,  am  pleased 
to  say,  I  have  received  an  abundance  of  testimony  as  to  the 
existence  of  the  same,  and  I  feel  quite  sure  that  the  discovery 
will  be  received  with  great  delight  by  all  who  are  interested  in 
this  new  industry,  particularly  the  non-shedding  type; 
for,  if  there  is  any  one  objectionable  part  to  the 
raising  of  the  Angora  goat,  it  is  the  unfortunate  feature 
of  casting  its  hair  so  early  in  the  spring,  necessitating  the  early 
shearing  of  the  animal  to  prevent  the  loss  of  the  valuable  fleece, 
which  so  often  results  in  the  death  of  many  from  a  sudden  change 
of  weather,  or  a  cold,  rainy,  season. 

Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Georgia,  always  maintained  that, 
the  most  serious  objection  he  had  ever  experienced  with  the 
Angora  Goat,  was  its  tendency  to  shed  its  fleece  too  early  in 
the  spring. 


If  they  can  be  made  to  retain  their  fleece  as  securely  as 
the  sheep  does,  so  as  to  admit  of  shearing  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
breeder,  a  great  drawback  in  the  industry  will  be  overcome. 
That  such  a  type  as  non-shedding  Angoras  exist,  there  can  be 
no  doubt ;  and,  whether  it  has  been  produced  by  a  freak  of  nature 
or  has  been  evolved  through  the  action  of  the  American  chmate, 
or  by  crossing  with  our  short-haired  varieties,  I  cannot  say.  I 
realize  the  importance  of  the  changed  condition  of  the  animal, 
and  feel  certain  that  all  old  breeders  will  rejoice  to  hear  of  it. 

The  hornless  variety  is  another  valuable  type  ;  and,  although 
not  at  all  new,  has  been  entirely  overlooked  by  most  breeders. 
The  horns  of  an  animal  were  undoubtedly  provided  by  a  wise 
Creator,  as  a  means  of  defence;  and,  in  a  wild  state,  are  very 
useful,  and  necessary ;  but,  in  a  domestic  condition,  they  are  a 
very  decided  objection  in  many  respects,  and  should  be  removed. 

The  advantages  of  hornless  stock  are  so  well  known  it  is 
hardly  necessary  that  I  should  dwell  on  the  subject. 

It  was  to  be  able  to  show,  by  the  testimony  of  practical 
breeders,  of  the  existence  of  these  two  new  varieties  of  mohair- 
producing  goats  (which  I  have  arranged  under  appropriate 
headings),  and  to  secure  some  photographs  of  representative 
American  goats,  showing  their  full  fleece,  that  compelled  me  to 
delay  the  publication  of  my  work,  which  I  am  sure  will  be  more 
generally  useful  now  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been. 

I  regret  that  many  of  the  breeders  were  unable  to  supply 
me  with  photographs  of  their  goats,  and  that  so  few  of  those 
I  received  show  a  full  year's  growth,  which  is  due  to  shearing 
twee  a  year,  a  custom  that,  unfortunately,  seems  to  prevail 
largely  with  the  breeders  of  our  finest  animals.  Such  as  I  have 
received,  however,  will  afford  a  very  good  illustration  of  the 
great  improvement  that  has  been  made  since  the  introduction 
of  the  animal  to  this  country. 

WM.  L.  BLACK. 

Fort  McKavett,  Texas,  June,  1900. 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 

I  shall  not  undertake  to  investigate  very  closely  into  the 
origin  of  the  Angora  goat. 

This  has  been  attempted  by  a  number  of  writers,  in  the 
past,  and  there  seems  to  be  as  much  doubt,  today,  as  to  how 
the  animal  originated,  as  there  is  about  the  origin  of  man.  Some 
writers  believe  that  the  Angora  and  sheep  were,  at  one  time, 
very  closely  related  to  each  other ;  but,  if  they  ever  were,  there 
must  have  been  a  serious  rupture  in  their  family  relations  at 
some  time  or  other,  for  they  have  not  been  known  to  mix  with 
each  other  for  many  centuries. 

Others  claim  that  it  originated  from  the  "Ibex,"  an  animal 
resembling  the  goat  in  some  respects ;  but  I  am  not  willing  to 
accept  this  theory,  either,  for  the  reason  that,  the  period  of  gesta- 
tion with  the  "Ibex"  is  only  ninety  days,  while  with  the  Angora 
it  is  about  150,  and  I  can't  well  understand  how  there  can  be 
any  close  family  relationship  between  the  two. 

Another  school  of  naturalists  claim  that  the  Angora  sprang 
from  the  "Wild  Goat,"  or  Pesang  of  the  Persians,  an  animal 
found  in  the  mountainous  regions  of  Central  Asia,  resembling 
the  domestic  goat  very  closely.  A  wiia  goat  is  also  found  in  the 
Rocky  mountains  of  America,  which  is  no  doubt  of  the  same 
family  as  the  Asiatic  wild  goat. 

Judging  from  the  looks  of  the  two  animais,  the  "Ibex"  and 
the  "Wild  Goat,"  I  think  it  more  than  likely  that  the  Angora 
goat  originated  from  the  latter ;  but,  I  confess  my  entire  ig- 
norance of  the  subject;  and,  it  seems  to  me,  it  is  of  very  little 
consequence  how  the  human  family  have  come  into  possession 
of  this  animal. 

We  know  we  have  a  goat,  known  to  the  commercial  world 
as  the  "Angora,"  and,  whether  this  particular  species  belongs 
to  the  family,  called  by  naturalists,  the  Capra  aegagriis,  or  the 
Capra  hircus,  makes  but  very  little  difference,  as  far  as  I  can 


12  A  Nczv  Industry. 

see.  ■  It  is  an  interesting  study,  I  admit,  but  there's  no  money 
in  it,  and  I  shall  leave  the  question  to  minds  more  scientific 
than  my  own  to  determine,  and  will  endeavor  to  show  my  read- 
ers the  practical  value  of  the  Angora  Goat  in  a  purely  business 
sense. 

I  shall  place  in  my  appendix  correct  photographs  of  the 
"Ibex,"  and  "Wild  Goat,"  with  a  full  description  of  their  general 
make-up,  habits,  etc.,  and  my  readers  can  form  their  own  conclu- 
sion ;  and,  by  way  of  assisting  them  to  reach  this  conclusion, 
I  refer  to  the  following  authorities  : 

Jno.  L.  Hayes,  L.  L.  D.,  "Angora  Goat,  Its  Origin  and 
Culture." 

J.  G.  Wood,  "Natural  History." 

R.  Ramsay  Wright,  Ph.  D.,  "Riverside  Natural  History." 

Lydekker,  "The  Royal  National  History." 

Mr.  S.  C.  C.  Schreiner,  of  South  Africa,  has  more  recently 
(1898)  published  a  work  through  Messrs.  Longmans  Green 
&  Co.,  of  New  York,  which  is  perhaps  as  complete  upon  this 
subject  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it.  Mr.  Schreiner  has  undoubt- 
edly made  a  very  close  study  of  this  matter,  and  has  quoted  from 
all  the  authorities  I  have  named,  as  well  as  others.  He  also 
gives  a  most  interesting  account  of  the  Angora  goat  industry 
in  South  Africa,  and  I  can  commend  his  book  as  being  one  of 
the  most  painstaking,  with  reference  to  the  origin  of  the  animal. 
of  any  I  have  ever  read  on  this  subject. 

My  first  experience  with  goats  began  in  the  year  of  187G 
in  the  State  of  Texas. 

In  connection  with  raising  sheep,  I  learned  that  Mexican 
herders  preferred  to  eat  goat  rather  than  sheep,  and  being  much 
the  cheaper  animal  of  the  two,  I  purchased  a  small  flock  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  my  herders  with  fresh  meat. 

About  the  year  1884  my  attention  was  called  to  the  Angora 
as  being  a  superior  breed,  and  possessing  greater  commercial 
value  than  the  common  species  {Mexican),  which  I  had  on  hand. 
I  found  out  that  I  could  very  easily  grade  up  my  common  goats 
by  introducing  full-blooded  Angora  sires ;  and  I  therefore  pur- 
chased from  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  eight 
males  and  four  females,  which  cost  me  close  to  $750  delivered 


Introductory  Remarks.  13 

at  my  ranch,  or  about  $60  for  each  goat.  This  appeared  to  me  as 
being  an  enormous  price  to  pay  for  goats,  but  the  investment 
turned  out  a  very  good  one.  In  a  few  years  I  had  improved  my 
flock  to  a  condition  which  justified  me  in  shearing,  and  I  then 
commenced  to  enjoy  a  revenue  which  I  had  never  counted  on; 
for,  in  addition  to  supplying  my  ranch  with  an  abundance  of 
fresh  meat,  I  received,  annually,  quite  a  handsome  return  from 
mohair,  and  my  goats  increased  so  rapidly  that,  in  1892,  I  had 
upwards  of  eight  thousand  head  of  well-graded  Angoras,  many 
of  them  being  very  superior.  I  figured  that  unless  I  could  thin 
out  my  stock  of  goats  they  would  very  soon  overrun  my  ranch ; 
disease  and  poverty  would  occasionally  thin  out  my  sheep  and 
cattle,  but  my  goats  seemed  to  be  proof  against  these  two  power- 
ful elements,  for  it  was  only  once  in  a  while  that  a  few  old  does 
would  die  from  extreme  old  age.  I  inquired  of  a  personal  ac- 
quaintance, who  was  engaged  in  the  meat  packing  business,  if 
he  would  purchase  a  thousand  fat  wether  goats ;  but  he  declined 
to  do  so,  and  explained  to  me  that  goat  meat  was  not  at  all 
fashionable ;  and,  although  he  knew  it  was  quite  as  good  as 
sheep,  he  could  not  venture  to  slaughter  them  in  large  numbers 
until  the  people  had  overcome  their  prejudice  for  it. 

I  knew  I  could  dispose  of  them  in  a  retail  way,  in  the  small 
towns  in  Texas,  but  the  expense,  and  annoyance,  attending  this 
plan  was  too  great  for  me  to  attempt,  so  I  determined  to  slaugh- 
ter them  myself  for  their  hides  and  tallow,  and  put  up  the  meat 
in  hermetically  sealed  tin  cans.  I  procured  the  necessary 
machinery  for  this  purpose  and  slaughtered  3000  head  that  year 
(1893),  and  in  1894  I  slaughtered  4000  more,  which  reduced  my 
number  to  a  more  reasonable  size.  I  realized  from  the  sale  of 
canned  meat,  tallow  and  hides  (the  latter  I  had  dressed  for 
making  into  rugs  and  robes),  about  $3.00  to  the  animal,  and, 
considering  the  fact  that  I  had  never  regarded  the  goat  branch 
of  my  ranch  interests  as  being  of  any  importance,  I  was  well 
pleased  with  this  result.  I  found  no  difficulty,  whatever,  in  find- 
ing ready  sale  for  my  dressed  skins,  selling  as  many  as  one 
thousand  to  a  single  wholesale  house  in  Chicago ;  and,  the 
brokers  through  whom  I  placed  my  tallow  have  been  exceed- 


lyj.  A  New  Industry. 

ingly  anxious  to  receive  more  ever  since.  They  reported  to 
me  it  was  of  a  superior  character,  and  would  command  a  pre- 
mium over  ordinary  tallow  for  making  fine  candles. 

In  1896  my  goats  had  again  increased  to  a  considerable 
number,  and  I  concluded,  rather  than  resume  my  slaughtering 
operation,  to  dispose  of  my  surplus  stock  to  others  who  might 
be  disposed  to  engage  in  raising  them.  I  had  become  very 
much  interested  in  the  beautiful  little  animal ;  and,  from  investi- 
gation, was  convinced  that  the  United  States  was  better  adapted 
to  the  propagation  of  this  class  of  Uvestock  than  any  other  part 
of  the  world,  not  excepting  Turkey  in  Asia,  where,  it  is  sup- 
posed, they  originated. 

It  is  true,  South  Africa  has  made  gre'ater  headway  in  breed- 
ing them  than  we  have, but  this  can  be  very  easily  explained,  and  I 
shall  probably  refer  to  this  matter  later  on.  We  have  had  ample 
time  to  test  the  merits  of  our  climate,  and  the  opinion  of  manu- 
facturers is  that  American-raised  mohair  is  fully  equal,  if  not 
superior,  to  any  that  is  produced  in  either  Asia  or  South  Africa. 
Some  of  them  claim  that  the  American  product  makes  a  smooth- 
er fabric,  but  of  course  our  entire  clip  will  not  do  this,  for  the 
reason  that  many  of  our  flocks  are  only  partly  graded;  but  the 
higher  grades  of  American  goats  will  bear  comparison  with 
the  best  in  the  world,  not  only  as  to  quality,  but  in  their  shearing 
capacity  as  well.  In  addition  to  this,  our  goats  have  never  de- 
veloped any  disease,  while  in  both  Asia  and  South  Africa  (which, 
by  the  way,  are  the  only  parts  of  the  world  where  the  Angora 
goaf  is  raised,  outside  of  our  own  country),  they  have  suffered 
serious  losses  from  pleuro-pneumonia,  scab  and  other  diseases. 
In  Mr.  Schreiner's  work,  on  the  Goat  industry  in  South  Africa, 
he  makes  especial  reference  to  the  "Pleuro-Pneumonia  Epi- 
demic in  the  Cape  Colony,"  upon  page  219,  of  his  book,  and 
believing  it  to  be  of  some  interest  to  the  breeders  in  the  United 
States,  to  know  the  history  of  this  epidemic,  and  how  it  was 
finally  controlled,  I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  copying  it  in  full, 
which  may  be  seen  under  the  head  of  "Diseases." 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  facts,Iconsidereditacrime  upon  my 
part  to  put  the  knife  to  animals  which  I  believed  could  be  made 


Introductory  Remarks.  75 

so  useful  and  valuable  to  others ;  particularly  when  there  was 
such  a  limited  number  of  them  in  this  country,  and  the  cost  of 
importing  them  was  out  of  all  reason.  I,  therefore,  decided  to 
publish  a  Httle  booklet,  setting  forth  some  of  the  advantages  of 
the  goat  industry,  and  calling  upon  farmers  in  the  Northern 
vStates  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  ofifered  them  in  this 
new,  and  valuable,  industry.  It  was  not  long  before  I  had  a 
number  of  inquiries,  asking  all  manner  of  questions ;  whether 
they  would  live  in  a  cold  climate ;  what  kind  of  fence  was  neces- 
sary to  hold  them,  etc.,  etc. 

In  the  early  part  of  1897,  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  of  Platteville, 
Iowa,  visited  my  ranch  for  the  purpose  of  interesting  me  in 
shipping  some  into  his  State  to  be  sold  at  public  auction.  He 
explained  to  me  that  he  had  succeeded  in  clearing  about  500 
acres  of  his  farm  that  had  been  covered  so  densely  with  brush, 
as  to  be  practically  worthless  until  he  began  running  goats  upon 
it,  and  it  was  now  the  finest  portion  of  his  farm,  being  well  set 
with  blue  grass,  and  perfectly  free  from  brush  and  weeds.  He 
was  well  satisfied  I  could  dispose  of  all  the  goats  I  would  send 
there,  and  the  fact  of  his  having  traveled  upwards  of  fifteen 
hundred  miles  to  see  me,  and  his  great  enthusiasm  on  the  sub- 
ject, gave  me  confidence  to  make  the  experiment;  and  I  at  once 
entered  into  an  agreement  to  ship  one  thousand  goats  to  be 
sold  at  auction  on  his  farm.  Our  sale  took  place  in  July  and  was 
entirely  satisfactory. 

In  the  fall,  of  the  same  year,  I  made  him  a  second  shipment 
of  one  thousand,  which  were  sold  in  December.  The  following 
year  (1898)  I  concluded  I  could  not  repeat  my  shipments  in 
such  large  numbers,  and  determined  to  wait  until  the  purchasers 
of  my  goats,  at  the  ''Standley  sales,"  had  had  sufficient  time  to 
prove  the  value  of  them,  fully  expecting  to  be  able  to  sell  all  that 
I  cared  to,  from  the  introduction  I  had  made.  In  this,  I  was  not 
disappointed,  having  reduced  my  individual  holdings  to  one 
flock  of  about  a  thousand  head,  and  have  had  to  purchase  a  great 
many  from  my  neighbors  to  fill  the  orders  I  have  received.  From 
the  time  that  Dr.  Standley  first  visited  me  in  1897  I  have  shipped 
upwards  of  fifteen  thousand  goats  to  the  state  of  Iowa  alone ; 


1 6  A  Ne7V  Industry. 

and  have  had  inquiries  enough  from  farmers  in  that  State  and 
others  to  absorb  every  Angora  goat  there  is  in  the  United 
States. 

I  commenced  selHng  at  $3.00  per  head,  because  it  paid 
me  a  fair  profit  in  raising  them ;  but,  very  few  ranchmen  were 
situated  Hke  myself ;  and,  when  asked  to  sell  their  smaller  flocks, 
they  put  a  price  on  them  that  made  it  impossible  for  me  to  con- 
tinue my  sales  at  that  low  figure.  I  knew,  furthermore,  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  find  enough  graded  goats  to  meet  the 
demand  that  was  springing  up  all  over  the  country,  and  this  gave 
rise  to  the  idea  which  prompted  me  in  writing  this  book.  I 
realized,  if  the  farmers  of  the  United  States  expected  to  engage 
in  the  Angora  goat  industry  they  would  have  to  begin  at  the 
bottom  like  we  all  had  done,  and  grade  up  the  smooth-haired 
goat.  We  have  an  abundance  of  full-blooded  males  to  stock 
the  entire  country,  but  the  Mexican  female  must  be  used  as  a 
foundation  if  we  expect  to  build  up  the  industry  in  any  reason- 
able time.  This  was  the  course  pursued  in  South  Africa,  except 
that  they  used  the  Boer  goat  instead  of  the  Mexican,  which 
are  practically  the  same  class  of  stock,  strong  and  vigorous, 
with  smooth  hair ;  and  it  was  followed  in  Turkey,  to  a  large  ex- 
tent, as  soon  as  the  demand  for  mohair  exceeded  the  annual 
supply,  which  took  place  between  18G0  and  1870.  Mr.  Schreiner 
refers  to  this  in  the  following  language : 

"The  European  demand  for  mohair  became  so  great,  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  Asia  Minor  (which  practically  had  a  monopoly  of  the  trade 
till  the  early  seventies)  to  meet  it  merely  by  the  normal  increase  of  the 
pure  Angora  goats.  It  was  therefore  necessary  quickly  to  obtain  a 
more  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  mohair  goats  than  could  be  ob- 
tained through  the  normal  increase  of  the  pure  Angoras;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  a  larger  area  of  country  was  essential  for  the  production  of 
the  amount  of  mohair  required. 

"To  secure  these  ends  the  Turkish  farmers  resorted  to  grading  up 
the  common  ewes  by  means  of  in-breedirg  to  Angora  rams.  The  mo- 
hair demand  being  so  great,  in  proportion  to  the  supply,  quality  ceased 
to  be  the  first  essential;  weight  of  fleece  was  required  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  goats.  *  *  *  With  this  end  in  view,  crossing  became  very 
general,  and  was  so  persisted  in  that  in  the  early  sixties  the  original 
pure  Angora   was   becoming  very   scarce.     *     *     *     By    its    means,    en- 


Introductory  Remarks.  // 

lirely  new  districts  were  rapidly  populatvid,  indeed  such  a  hold  had  this 
method  of  increasing  the  numbers  of  the  mohair  goat  obtained  on  the 
Turkish  farmers,  and  so  eager  were  they  to  avail  themselves  of  it,  that, 
not  content  with  introducing  Angora  rams  into  flocks  of  Kurd  ewes  in 
outsides  districts,  they  actually  imported  the  Kurd  ewes  into  the  very 
center  of  the  mohair  region — the  home  of  the  pure  Angora — and,  put- 
ting them  to  Angora  rams,  graded  them  up  there." 

It  is  very  popular  with  American  farmers  to  want  the  very 
best  class  of  stock  that  can  be  obtaineu,  and  I  recognize  this  3s 
being  true  economy  not  only  in  live  stock  but  in  all  kinds  of 
farming  machinery,  as  well  as  in  manufactured  goods  for  home 
use.  I  think  it  will  justify  paying  a  very  high  premium  to  get 
well-improved  Angora  goats  rather  than  begin  on  the  smooth- 
haired  Mexican — but,  if  these  cannot  be  had,  there  is  no  other 
remedy  than  to  begin  with  the  low  grade.  We  have  reached  a 
point  in  the  United  States  similar  to  that  which  existed  in  Tur- 
key, between  1860  and  1870,  with  the  exception  that,  the  demand 
in  this  coimtry  calls  for  goats  to  exterminate  brush,  in  place  of 
supplying  a  larger  amount  of  mohair.  The  common  goat  will 
answer  the  purpose  we  need  them  for,  even  better  than  the 
Angora,  from  the  fact  they  are  stronger  bodied,  and  are  not 
burdened  with  long  hair,  which  is  often  torn  out  on  the  brush 
when  feeding. 

In  my  chapter  referring  to  Cross  Breeding  1  shall  give  pho- 
tographs showing  the  different  grades  of  Angoras,  which  will 
convey  a  fair  idea  of  the  rapid  change  that  can  be  made  in  these 
common  goats.  There  is  perhaps  no  animal  that  will  stamp 
his  progeny  so  decidedly  as  the  Angora  goat  will;  and,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  get  full-blooded  males  to  be  able  to  build  up  a  good 
flock  of  shearing  goats  in  a  very  few  years. 

Referring  again  to  Dr.  Standley's  work  of  clearing  land,  I 
shall  procure  and  place  a  photograph  of  the  land  he  cleared 
of  hazel  brush,  imder  my  chapter  on  "Clearing  Brush 
Land,  and  How  the  Work  Is  Done."  It  is  well  worth 
a  trip  to  the  farm  of  this  gentleman,  in  Taylor  County, 
Iowa,  to  see  the  marvellous  change  that  was  made  in 
two  years'  time  by  the  aid  of  goats.  Up  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  wire  fence,  dividing  his  land  from  a  neighbor's,  the  Doctor's 


18  A  Neiv  Industry. 

land  is  finely  set  in  blue  grass,  while  not  a  blade  can  be  seen 
(or  any  other  kind  of  grass)  on  the  other  side.  When  I  first 
visited  this  farm  it  was  a  revelation  to  me.  I  always  knew  the 
goat  would  eat  brush,  but  I  had  no  idea  it  could  be  turned  to 
such  a  useful  purpose  as  Dr.  Standley's  work  will  demonstrate ; 
and,  no  better  evidence  than  a  personal  visit  to  his  farm  is  needed 
to  convince  the  most  skeptical  that  the  goat  is  the  best  land 
grubber  on  earth.  He  will  not  only  destroy  the  brush,  but  will 
enrich  and  tramp  the  soil  more  thoroughly  than  any  other 
atnmal  can  po.-=sibly  do.  wl)ich  is  so  essential  in  producing  a 
fine  stand  of  blue  grass ;  and,  he  will  thoroughly  remove  all 
noxious  weeds  as  well. 

The  Doctor  tells  a  very  interesting  story  on  one  of  his 
acquaintances  who  was  rather  doubtful  about  the  value  of  the 
goat.  It  was,  I  think,  at  one  of  the  annual  State  fairs  in  Towa, 
and,  if  I  may  be  excused  for  digressing  a  little,  I  want  here,  to 
commend  the  Iowa  system  of  fairs  over  any  I  have  ever  at- 
tended. Instead  of  coming  and  going  every  day,  farmers  come 
prepared  to  camp  out  for  a  week,  or  as  long  as  they  care  to  re- 
main. A  certain  part  of  the  ground  is  set  apart  for  campers, 
and  very  nicely  arranged  hotels  are  provided  for  those  who 
are  not  prepared  to  "camp."  The  officers  are  on  the  ground 
night  and  day,  during  the  period  of  the  fair,  and  an  exhibitor 
can  transact  any  business  he  may  have  with  them,  without  the 
slightest  trouble.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  these  grounds 
in  the  fall  of  1897,  and  took  with  me  a  lot  of  rugs  and  robes, 
to  show  the  people  what  some  of  the  by-products  of  the  Angora 
goat  looked  like.  I  had  a  number  of  skins  in  their  natural  shape, 
and  others  cut  into  shape  for  floor  rugs  and  buggy  mats.  In 
my  exhibit  I  had  a  rug  arranged  with  a  large  wolf  skin,  in  the 
center,  which  attracted  considerable  attention.  I  also  took  with  me 
500  head  of  goats  (the  first  that  many  of  the  visitors  had  ever 
seen),  and,  while  I  was  there,  a  drizzling  rain  had  made  the 
race  track  very  heavy,  and  the  superintendent  asked  me  if  I 
would  allow  my  goats  to  be  driven  around  the  track  to  tramp 
it  and  put  it  in  better  condition  for  the  races  in  the  afternoon. 
This  was  an  entirely  new  departure  from  old  customs,  and  I 


Introductory  Remarks.  ic^ 

did  not  know  whether  my  Texas  goats  would  relish  it  or  not. 
I  was  afraid  they  might  become  scared  at  the  multitude  of 
people,  yelling  and  shouting,  as  they  usually  do  on  such  oc- 
casions ;  and  the  bands  of  music  were  also  a  new  thing  to  my 
country  goats ;  but  I  told  the  supermtendent  that  I  would  have 
the  herder  try  the  experiment,  which  proved  to  be  very  suc- 
cessful. They  walked  around  the  track  a  number  of  times,  and 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  notoriety  they  were  creating  quite  a  good 
deal,  and  the  races  went  on  as  usual.  It  was  at  one  of  these 
fairs  that  Dr.  Standley  was  telling  some  of  his  friends  of  the 
wonderful  work  the  little  goat  had  done  for  him  in  clearing 
his  land;  and  when  he  told  them  of  the  splendid  stand  of  blue 
grass  he  had  now  in  place  of  a  hazel-brush  thicket  two  years 

before,  a  Mr.  — .  — .  of county,  who  also 

owned  a  quantity  of  hazel-brush  land,  quietly  remarked:  "Doc- 
tor, are  you  not  putting  that  a  little  too  strong?"  The  Doctor 
was  surprised,  and,  very  naturally,  nettled  at  this  lemark;  and, 
after   recovering   from   astonishment   at   having   his    statement 

doubted,  he  replied:     "Mr.  ,  it  will  only  cost  you 

about  $10  to  make  a  personal  inspection  of  the  land  I  have 
been  telling  about,  and  you  can  return  here  by  tomorrow's 
train ;  now,  I  will  make  you  this  proposition  :  if  you  do  not 
find  that  I  have  stated  the  matter  correctly,  and  fairly,  I  will 
return  you  every  dollar  you  expend  on  the  trip,  including  your 
board  and  lodging."  The  gentleman  accepted  the  offer,  and 
upon  his   return  to  the   fair  the   following  day.   Dr.   Standley 

asked  him  how  much  he  owed  him.     Mr.  replied: 

"Not  one  cent.  Doctor,  you  did  not  tell  it  half  as  strong  as  you 
should  have  done."' 

I  believe  that  Dr.  Standley  has  done  more  in  the  way  of 
bringing  the  Angora  goat  into  prominence  and  favor  than  any 
individual  in  the  United  States.  Many  men  before  him  have 
owned  goats,  and  great  credit  is  due  to  Col.  Richard  Peters, 
of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  who  was  so  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  the  industry  to  this  country  as  to  pay  to  Dr.  Davis  of  South 
Carolina  (who  was  the  first  to  bring  any  Angora  goats  into 
the  United  States),  $1000  each  for  all  the  pure-bred  goats  he 


20  A  Nciv  Industry. 

had.  An  investment  of  $1000  in  a  little  goat  calls  for  consider- 
able nerve,  and  Col.  Peters  may  be  justly  called  the  "Father 
of  the  Angora  goat  industry  in  the  United  States,"  for  in  all 
probability  if  he  had  not  become  interested  in  them  they 
would  have  been  scattered  and  soon  died  out.  Mr.  Jno.  S. 
Harris,  of  Oakley,  Idaho,  is  Hkewise  entitled  to  great  credit. 
This  gentleman  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  Angora  goat  very 
early,  and  made  a  voyage  to  Asia  in  1875  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  back  some  pure-bred  stock.  He  reached  America  the 
following  year  (1876)  with  twelve  head,  after  having  had  an 
endless  amount  of  trouble  in  getting  them  out  of  Asia  Minor, 
and  they  cost  him  over  $500  each  before  he  landed  them  at  his 
ranch  in  this  country. 

There  are  many  other  gentlemen  in  Texas,  California  and 
Oregon  that  are  entitled  to  credit  in  having  given  a  start  to 
the  industry,  among  whom  I  recall  the  names  of  Parish,  Devine, 
Haupt,  Fink,  Arnold,  Landrum,  and  Bailey,  some  of  whom  are 
still  engaged  in  the  business.  Many  others  are  equally  entitled 
to  credit,  but  I  do  not  think  there  are  any  who  have  shown 
to  the  world  how  this  animal  can  be  made  use  of  as  profitably 
as  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  of  Platteville,  Iowa,  has.  His  work  is 
worth  millions  of  dollars  to  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  will  result 
in  great  benefit  to  every  State  in  Ihe  Union  where  brush  and 
weeds  are  ruining  pasture  lands. 

The  brush  question  is  a  most  serious  one  in  a  great  many 
of  our  states.  As  long  as  land  can  be  kept  under  cultivation 
brush  can  be  kept  down,  but  when  it  is  once  thrown  open  to 
pasture,  briars,  and  brush  of  all  description  begin  to  grow,  and 
soon  covers  the  entire  surface.  Even  in  our  own  State  of  Texas 
many  millions  of  acres,  in  the  west,  are  growing  up  into  brush 
thickets,  which  will,  sooner  or  later, become  worthless  for  pastur- 
ing cattle  ;  and,  in  many  of  the  western  territories  the  same  condi- 
tions exist.  It  is  supposed  that  this  has  been  produced  by  an 
increase  in  rainfall;  but,  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  is  not  alto- 
gether due  to  this  cause.  That  brush  and  trees  are  indigenous 
to  many  of  our,  so-called,  arid  districts  can  be  very  easily  proven 
by  the  great  quantities  of  roots  the  present  inhabitants  dig  out 
of  the  ground  for  fuel  purposes.    Not  a  tree  can  be  seen  for  hun- 


hitrodnciory  Remarks.  2.T 

dreds  of  miles,  yet  these  great  roots  can  be  found  almost  every- 
where, on  the  prairies,  and  are  a  substantial  witness  to  the  fact 
that  there  were  an  abundance  of  trees  there  at  some  time  or 
other.  Before  this  portion  of  the  United  States  was  occupied 
by  the  white  race,  it  was  a  common  practice  of  the  Indians  to 
burn  the  high  prairie'  grass  every  fall,  or  winter,  in  order  to 
hunt  wild  game  that  was  very  abundant.  Buffalo  and  deer,  were 
as  common  then  as  cattle,  and  sheep,  are  now,  but  the  grass 
was  so  high,  in  places,  they  could  not  be  seen,  and  the  Indian 
would  burn  it  off  to  be  able  to  hunt  them  more  readily.  This, 
undoubtedly,  destroyed  much  of  the  growth  of  trees ;  and,  in 
my  opinion,  is  the  true  explanation  of  the  roots  that  are  now 
found  in  many  parts  of  west  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  other 
western  territories. 

The  question  is  a  very  important  one,  and  if  the  Angora 
goat  can  be  used  to  keep  this  growth  back  it  is  certainly  well 
worth  the  attention  of  many  of  our  land  owners,  who  may,  in  a 
few  years,  find  their  land  practically  worthless.  A  personal 
friend  writes  me  that :  "Many  pastures  are  growing  up  to 
oak  brush,  and  hazel  brush,  in  the  north;  and  in  New  England 
they  are  bothered  with  ferns  (called  brakes),  berry  bushes,  black- 
berries, raspberries,  etc."  This  kind  of  fare  would  be  "peaches 
and  cream"  to  a  goat,  and  in  a  year  or  two  the  owner  would  be 
relieved  of  a  great  nuisance,  the  goat  would  grow  fat,  and  the 
land  would  be  restored  to  a  proper  condition  for  grazing  other 
stock  on  it. 

Another  correspondent  in  Massachusetts  speaks  of  a  certain 
small  island  he  owned  which, was  so  densely  covered  with  brush 
as  to  be  utterly  valueless  except  to  grow  mosquitoes.  I  hear 
of  many  parts  of  the  East  that  are  seriously  troubled  with  brush, 
where  many  thousands  of  acres  are  of  no  use  for  grazing  pur- 
poses, and  the  profit  in  farming  will  not  justify  the  cost  of  grub- 
bing it.  In  the  Southern  States  many  farms  have  become  worn 
out,  and  are  growing  up  into  brush  and  weeds.  In  Dr.  James  B. 
Davis'  report  to  our  government,  after  he  had  made  his  first 
importation  of  Angora  goats  from  Turkey,  he  makes  use  of  the 
following  language  with  reference  to  brush  in  the  Southerr 
States. 


22  A  Nczv  Ijidttsfry. 

"The  want  of  calcarcousncss  in  nearly  all  of  the  soils  of  the  Southern 
States,  together  with  the  heat  of  our  sun,  makes  an  inaptitude  to  peren- 
nial grasses  for  grazing  animals,  hence  n.ore  suitable  for  browsing,  as 
■both  tend  to  originate  shrubbery  and  weeds." 

The  Angora  goat  is  the  proper  animal  to  employ  to  put 
these  lands  in  a  proper  condition  either  for  cultivating  or  grazing 
cattle.  But  a  number  of  my  correspondents  have  asked  me 
what  they  could  do  with  the  goats  after  they  had  cleared  their 
land.  In  reply  to  this,  I  will  say  they  can  well  afford  to  slaughter 
them  and  feed  them  to  their  hogs,  but  this  will  not  be  necessary 
now.  The  fashion  has  changed  since  I  slaughtered  goats  for 
their  hide  and  tallow,  and  there  is  no  trouble  now  in  selling  all 
the  goats  you  send  to  any  of  our  large  meat  packing  markets. 
I  shall  refer  to  this  subject  more  particularly  under  a  proper 
heading,  as  well  as  to  show  the  great  profit  in  the  incidental  or 
by-products  of  the  animal. 


HistoricQLl     Facets 

Corvcerrving     tKe     Angora.     Goact 

and 

Ma^nuf  QLctur  e     of     MoKatir. 


N.  C.  State  College 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHEN,   WHERE,   AND  HOW,   DID  THE  ANGORA  GOAT  ORIGINATE. 

The  exact  time,  or  period,  when  the  Angora  goat  first 
originated  has  never  been  ascertained. 

We  have  an  abundance  of  testimony  in  the  Bible  of  the 
existence  of  goats,  at  a  very  early  period  of  the  world  (1800  B. 
C),  see  Genesis,  xxvii,  9,  but  as  to  whether  they  were  the  same 
class  as  we  now  call  "Angora"  or  not,  is  altogether  a  matter 
of  conjecture.  The  account  given  of  them  rather  leads  to  the 
impression  that  they  were  of  a  different  character  entirely ;  for, 
they  are,  generally,  referred  to  as  producing  hair  (Exodus,  xxv, 
4),  and  that  they  did  not  shear  them  (I  Samuel,  xxv,  2). 

But,  upon  the  other  hand,  we  read  in  Exodus,  xxxvi,  14, 
"*  *  *  y\i-i(j  \^Q  made  curtains  of  goats'  hair,  for  the  tent, 
over  the  tabernacle  *  *  *" ;  and,  again  in  Numbers,  xxxi,  20 
"*  *  *  And  purify  all  your  raiment,  and  all  that  is  made  of 
skins,  and  all  work  of  goats  hair  *  *  *",  which  rather  leads 
one  to  think  it  was  fine  enough  to  be  woven  into  cloth,  for 
wearing  apparel.  But,  it  will  be  observed,  Moses  does  not  say 
raiment  of  goats'  hair,  but  work  of  goats'  hair,  which  may  have 
been  some  kind  of  coarse  material  like  the  curtains  over  the 
tabernacle  are  likely  to  have  been  made  of. 

This  opinion  is,  to  some  extent,  confirmed  in  Leviticus, 
xiii,  47,  where  he  says:  "*  *  *  Whether  it  be  a  woolen 
garment,  or  a  linen  garment  *  *  *,"  which  conveys  the  im- 
pression that  goats'  hair  was  not  used  for  wearing  apparel,  or 
it  would  have  been  mentioned  with  wool,  and  linen ;  for  Moses 
was  giving  out  a  law  concerning  the  "cleansing  of  a  leper",  and  if 
the  people  had  been  accustomed  to  use  goats'  hair  for  clothmg, 
he  would  surely  have  included  this  kind,  as  well  as  that  made 
from  other  material ;  for,  in  the  very  next  verse  (Lev.,  xiii,  48) 


2(5  A  Nczv  Industry. 

he  specifically  says :  "  *  *  *  Whether  it  be  in  the  warp,  or 
2voof ;  of  linen,  or  of  woolen ;  whether  in  a  skin  or  in  anything 
made  of  skin    *    *    */' 

Coming  down  to  the  Greek  authors — Homer  and  Hesiod — 
referred  to  by  Dr.  Hayes — though  frequently  mentioning  the 
goat,  as  a  domestic  animal,  they  make  no  allusion  to  any  par- 
ticular race.  ^Elian,  referring  to  the  goats  of  Lycia,  and  the 
practice  of  shearing  them  like  sheep,  says,  that  the  wool  is  used 
for  cords  and  cables.  Apian  mentions  the  stufifs  known  under 
the  name  of  kilikia,  from  Cilicia  (the  ancient  name  of  the  country 
in  which  Angora  is  situated),  as  a  means  of  protection  against 
projectiles ;  implying  that,  the  goats  of  Cilicia  were  not  distin- 
guished for  their  fineness.  Virgil  gives  the  wool  of  the  goat 
no  other  destination  than  to  serve  for  the  necessities  of  the 
camp,  and  for  the  use  of  poor  sailors. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1555  that  the  Angora  Goat  was 
distinctly  made  known,  through  Father  Belon,  who  had  travelled 
in  Asia  Minor,  by  a  brief,  but  sufficiently  characteristic  de- 
scription, which  has,  doubtless,  given  rise  to  the  popular  belief 
that  the  animal  originated  in  that  country ;  but  there  is  nothing 
whatever  to  support  the  same  beyond  the  mere  fact  that  the 
modern  world  first  heard  of  them  in  the  Province  of  An- 
gora, which  is  a  part  of  Asia  Minor,  belonging  to  Turkey,  and 
that  they  have  always  been  known  as  the  Angora  goat. 

The  argument  advanced  by  those  who  maintain  this  belief  is 
that  the  climate  of  Angora  possesses  some  peculiar  characteris- 
tic which  has  produced  the  silky  hair  on  the  animal,  and  to 
strengthen  their  opinion,  they  point  to  the  rabbit,  and  cat,  of 
that  country,  which  produce  the  same  kind  of  hair  as  this  goat. 
The  theory  is  certainly  very  plausible,  and  would  be  hard  to 
overcome,  if  all  the  goats,  rabbits  and  cats  produced  hair  ex- 
actly the  same;  but,  it  is  well  known,  they  have  a  low  grade  of 
goat,  called  the  "Kurd"  goat,  which  has  black,  coarse  hair,*  and 
it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  cats  and  rabbits  of  various  colors, 


*Peglar  describes  the  "Kurd"  goat  as  being  &  black  goat,  rather 
larger  than  the  white  or  Angora  proper,  the  hair  of  which,  although  long 
and  of  a  fleecy  nature,  being  at  the  same  time  coarse  in  quality." 


JVhcii,  Where,  and  Hozv,  Did  the  Angora  Goat  Originate?       2/ 

of  hair  as  well,  hence,  it  would  seem  that  the  beautiful  hair 
of  the  "Angora"  goat,  is  not  due  to  the  influence  of  climate, 
otherwise,  all  the  goats  of  Asia  Minor  would  be  afifected  by  it 
alike. 

Upon  the  other  hand,  there  is  a  breed  of  goat  that  is  said 
to  have  existed  for  countless  ages,  in  central  and  northern  Asia, 
known  as  the  "Cashmere,"  which  has  the  same  kind  of  hair  as 
the  Angora,  and,  to  all  outward  appearances,  is  one  and  the 
same  kind  of  animal.  In  leferring  to  the  Cashmere  goat.  Dr. 
Hayes*  makes  use  of  the  following  language,  in  his  work  on 
"The  Angora  Goat,  Its  Origin,  Culture  and  Products." 

"The  only  goat  besides  the  Angora,  which  is  strictly  lanigerous,  is 
the  'Cashmere'  or  'Thibetian'  goat,  which  abounds  in  Central  Asia, 
but  whose  origin  is  still  obscure,  although  it  has,  according  to  Brandt, 
afifinities  with  the  Angora  race.  The  size  of  the  Cashmere  goat  is  quite 
large:  the  horns  are  flattened,  straight,  ;jnd  black,  and  slightly  divergent 
at  the  extremities.  The  ears  are  large,  fiat  and  pendant.  Ihe  primary 
hair,  which  is  long,  silky  and  lustrous,  is  divided  upon  the  back,  and 
falls  down  upon  the  flanks  in  wavy  masses.  Beneath  this  hair  there 
is  developed,  in  the  autumn,  a  short  and  exceedingly  fine  wool,  from 
which,  the  famous  Cashmere  shawls  are  fabricated.     See  Hays,  page  11. 

The  late  Dr.  James  B.  Davis,  of  Columbia,  South  Carolina, 
who  resided  for  a  number  of  years  in  Turkey,  always  claimed 
that  the  "Angora,"  the  "Cashmere,"  "Persian"  and  "Circassian" 
goats  were  all  one  and  the  same  species,  changed  in  some  re- 
spects by  altitude,  but  little  by  latitude.  (See  U.  S.  Pat.  Office 
Report  1853.  p.  20. 

Mr.  J.  S.  Harris,  of  Oakley,  Idaho,  who,  in  1875,  visited 
Cashmere  and  Asia  Minor  for  the  purpose  of  buying  some 
]:)ure-blooded  goats,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  Angora  goat 
originated  in  Thibet.     Mr.  Harris  is,  perhaps,  the  only  resident 


*Dr.  Hayes  leans  to  the  opinion  that  the  Angora  goat  was  introduced 
into  Asia  Minor  at  a  comparatively  recent  period;  he  says:  "The  silence 
of  the  classic  authors  in  respect  to  any  goat  with  fine  and  white  fleece 
would  seem  to  place  it  beyond  doubt  that  the  progenitors  of  this  animal 
were  introduced  into  Asia  Minor  at  a  comparatively  recent  period,  when 
the  country  was  invaded  by  barbarous  and  pastoral  races,  either  Turks 
or  Arabs."     (See  p.  IG.) 


28  A  Nczv  Industry. 

of  the  United  States  who  has  ever  visited  the  Thibetian  country 
in  search  of  goats,*  and  his  opinion  is,  therefore,  worthy  of 
great  consideration  upon  a  question  of  this  nature.  In  a  recent 
letter  to  me  he  says : 

"On  the  cars,  going  through  Bengal.  I  saw  a  great  many  goals 
feeding  along  the  road.  These  goats  were  very  large  muleys,  with  nig- 
gerish  heads,  and  when  standing,  their  ec.rs  almost  touched  the  ground. 
When  I  got  up  into  Central  India,  on  the  borders  of  Punjab,  I  saw  a 
great  many  goats  which  were  low  set,  with  small  ears  and  cock  horns, 
and  had  long  shaggy  hair.  It  is  cold  in  the  Punjab,  in  comparison  with 
Bengal.  When  I  got  to  Lahore,  I  had  to  stage  it  to  Rawil-Pindee,  and 
Murree,  the  British  outposts,  which  is  as  far  as  any  vehicle  can  go.  From 
there  I  fitted  out  to  cross  the  Himalaya  into  Cashmere.  I  procured  a 
good  interpreter,  and  seven,  or  eight  men  to  go  with  me,  and  went  into 
Cashmere  by  the  Jhelum  route,  which  is  the  head  tributary  of  the 
Ganges.  In  going  up  the  Jhelum,  through  the  Himalaya,  I  met  two 
English  officers,  coming  down  from  the  Thibets.  They  had  a  great 
many  servants  and  coolies,  loaded  with  trophies  of  the  chase,  and  they 
told  me,  there  were  a  great  many  Ibex,  and  wild  goats  of  various  kinds, 
up  in  the  high  Thibets.  They  showed  me  some  of  the  skins,  all  of 
vi^hich  showed  long,  shaggy  hair,  with  a  heavy  undercoating  of  fur. 
Some  had  long  horns,  and  otbers  small  and  spiral-shaped. 

"My  attention  was  called  to  two  little  goats  that  oi-.c  of  the  coolies 
was  leading.  The  officer  told  me  these  were  the  tame  goats  of  Bok- 
hara, and  famed  for  their  fur;  they  were  low  set,  and  spry  little  fellows, 
with  delicate  spiral  horns;  their  hair  was  white,  and  shone  like  silver, 
and  was  about  four  inches  long,  with  a  very  fine  undercoating  of  fur. 

"It  took  me  some  eighteen  days  to  get  over  the  Himalaya  into 
Cashmere.  When  I  got  to  Srinagar,  the  capital,  I  found  there  were 
no  goats  of  the  shawl  species  kept  in  the  vale  of  Cashmere.  They  were 
kept  up  in  the  high  Thibets,  even  on  the  frontier  of  Siberia,  and  the  goats 
that  were  kept  on  the  highest  mountains  produced  the  finest  fur. 

"I  visited  the  Maharaja  shawl  factory  in  Srinagar,  and  found  that 
the  goats  of  Cashmere  were  not  the  kind  I  wanted;  so  I  boutcd  ship 
for  the   sea. 

"As  I  came  down  through  the  Himalayas  on  the  Barmula  route,  in 
crossing  the  Basamoolla  river,  I  came  to  a  Buddhist  Temple.  The  priest 
gave  me  some  fruit,  and  I  gave  him  some  money.  Near  to  the  Temple. 
I  saw  three  or  four  nice  little  white  goats,  the  same  as  I  had  seen 
with  the  English  officers.     I  got  my  interpreter  to  inquire  of  the  priest 


*Hon.    Israel    H.    Diehl    visited    Asia    Minor,    but    did    not    go    into 
Northern  Asia. 


When,  Where,  and  Hozv,  Did  the  Angora  Goat  Originate?       2p 

as  to  their  origin,  and  he  very  devoutly  looked  up  into  the  heavens, 
and  then  bowed  to  the  earth,  and  said:  "The  God  of  Buddha  sent  them 
down  from  heaven." 

"Now,  I  think,  if  the  Angora  goat  originally  came  from  any  place, 
it  was  from  the  high  Thibets,  and  was  of  the  same  species  as  the  little 
white  goat  that  I  saw  there. 

"Long  ago,  tribes  of  the  Thibets  may  have  been  persecuted,  and 
were  driven,  or,  wandered,  through  Persia,  along  the  Caspian,  by  the 
way  of  Lake  Van,  into  Asia  Minor,  and  took  along  with  them  their 
little  white   goat,   a   native   of  Thibet." 

The  fur,  or  "pushm,"  as  it  is  lechnically  called,  which  the 
"Cashmere" produces,  is  evidently  a  growth  called  for  by  the  laws 
of  nature  to  shield  the  animal  from  the  very  severe  cold  climate 
of  Cashmere,  and  Thibet,  for,  it  has  always  occurred  that,  when 
any  of  these  animals  were  taken  to  a  warm  climate,  this  fur 
disappeared  in  a  few  years.  It  is  therefore,  very  reasonable  to 
believe,  that  the  Angora  goat,  found  in  Asia  Minor,  sprang 
from  the  Cashmere  or  Thibetian  goat,  and,  through  the  action 
of  the  warmer  climate  of  Turkey,  the  coating  of  the  animal 
has  been  changed  to  its  present  character. 

It  will  never  be  known,  however,  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty, as  to  when,  where  or  how  this  animal  originated.  It 
may  have  been  a  distinct  species  in  the  beginning  of  creation, 
or,  perhaps  it  came  through  a  freak  of  nature,  in  one,  or  other 
of  the  countries  just  referred  to.  Naturalists  have  disputed 
over  the  qtiestion  ever  since  the  science  of  zoology  was  first 
understood,  some  claiming  one  theory,  and  others  another.  It 
is  claimed  by  some  that  the  animal  is  a  cross  between  the  do- 
mestic sheep  and  the  domestic  goat ;  others  say  it  sprang  from 
the  "Ibex,"  the  common  name  of  several  closely  allied  species 
of  ruminant  mammals,  belonging  to  the  genus  Capra,  or  goats, 
inhabiting  the  loftiest  regions  of  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa.  And 
still  another  school  claim  that  the  wild  goat,  or  Pesang,  of  the 
Persians  (which  likewise  produces  a  long  hair  with  the  fur  un- 
derneath), is  the  parent  of  the  Angora.*     As  stated  before,  it 


*The  great  naturalist,  Chas.  Darwin,  in  his  work  on  the  "Origin 
of  Species,"  page  15  says:  "The  origin  of  most  of  our  domestic 
animals  will  probably  forever  remain  vague.  *  *  *  in  regard  to 
sheep  and  goats   I  can  form  no  decided  opinion. 


JO  A  New  Industry. 

can  never  be  learned  how  this  beautiful,  and  valuable,  animal 
has  been  handed  down  to  mankind ;  nor,  would  it  seem  to  be 
necessary,  or  important,  that  we  should  know;  for,  beyond 
the  mere  fact  of  gratifying  idle  curiosity,  we  would  be  no  better 
ofT,  practically,  if  we  were  to  learn  from  the  Divine  source, 
through  which  the  animal  was  created,  the  exact  way  it  was 
made.  It  seems  to  me,  it  would  be  more  fitting  in  us  to  accept 
the  gift  from  nature's  generous  hand,  as  we  have  found  it,  and 
apply  the  laws  for  the  improvement  of  the  species,  that  this 
same  beneficent  Creator  has  established,  and  mould  for  our- 
selves such  an  animal  as  is  best  suited  to  our  wants,  and  best 
adapted  to  the  climate  in  which  we  live. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   PROVINCE   OF   ANGORA. 

The  town  of  Angora  is  described  in  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica  as  follows :  "Angora,  or  Enguri,  the  ancient  Ancyra, 
a  city  of  Turkey  in  Asia,  capital  of  the  vilayet  of  the  same  name, 
is  situated  upon  a  steep  hill,  near  a  small  stream,  which  flows 
into  the  Angora,  a  tributary  of  the  Sukaria,  or  Sangarino,  about 
220  miles  E  S  E  of  Constantinople.  *  *  *  Ancyra  be- 
longed, originally,  to  Phrygia,  and  afterwards  became  the  chief 
town  of  the  Tectosages,  one  of  the  three  Gallic  tribes  that  set- 
tled in  Galatia  about  277  B.  C. 

"In  189  B.  C,  Galatia  was  subdued  by  Manhus,  and  in  25 
B.  C.  it  was  formally  made  a  Roman  province,  of  which  Ancyra 
was  the  capital.  Ancyra  was  the  seat  of  one  of  the  earliest 
churches,  founded,  probably,  by  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  councils 
were  held  in  the  town  in  314  and  358  A.  D.  In  1402  A.  D.,  a 
great  battle  was  fought  in  the  vicinity  of  Ancyra,  in  which  the 
Turkish  Sultan,  Bajazet,  was  defeated  and  made  prisoner  by 
Tam.erlaine,  the  Tartar  conqueror.  In  1415,  it  was  recovered 
by  the  Turks,  under  Mahomet  I.  and  since  that  period  has  be- 
longed to  the  Ottoman  Empire." 

The  following  description  of  the  surrounding  country,  from 
the  pen  of  Mr.  H.  A.  Cumberbatch,  British  Consul  at  Angora, 
in  his  report  to  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury,  dated  the  15th  of 
July,  1895,  and  which  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  copying  from 
Mr.  Schreiner's  book,  is  of  greater  value.  Mr.  Cumberbatch 
says  : 

"The  vilayet,  or  province,  of  Angora,  is  essentially  an  agricultural 
one;  the  rural  population  gives  itself  up  entirely  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil,  and  the  rearing  of  cattle,  while  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns, 
themselves  to  a  great  extent  owners  of  farms  and  vineyards,  trade  on 
the  result  of  the  cultivators'  labors.     *     *     * 


J2  A  Nciv  Industry. 

"The  entire  province  is  more  or  less  mountainous  and  furrowed 
l)y  deep  valleys.  Its  mean  altitude  is  estimated  at  2000  feet,  the  town 
itself  being  2804  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

"The  elevated  masses  arc  here  and  there  shaded  with  forests,  but 
th;  plateaux,  which  form  the  most  extensive  portion  of  the  country, 
are  very  little  wooded,  and  consequently  the  absence  of  trees  and 
shrubs  give  them  a  dreary  aspect.  The  scarcity  of  trees  permits  the 
summer  heat  to  dry  up  the  little  humidity  acquired  by  the  soil  in  winter, 
and  drouths  of  any  length  bring  about  partial  or  complete  failures  of 
crops. 

"Whenever  the  mountain  soil  is  carried  dov>'n  by  the  spring  floods 
to  the  valleys  and  plateaux,  it  makes  them  very  fertile  and  suitable  for 
the  cultivation  oi  ail  kinds  of  cereals  and  vegetables.  Wherever  arti- 
ficial irrigation  is  practicable,  the  fertility  is  greatly  augmented.  In 
this  province  there  are  to  be  found  light  and  friable  soils,  both  suitable 
for  wheat  and  barley  culture,  and,  although  rarely  manured,  sood  croos 
are  raised,   thus   proving   their   great   fertility. 

"In  many  parts,  however,  and  in  the  Cesarea  district  especially, 
the  soil  is  very  poor,  with  no  consistency,  being  nothing  but  dust  and 
stones. 

"The  climate  is  extreme.  In  tlic  iiionths  of  January  and  February 
the  thermometer  will  mark  a  minimum  of  lU  degrees  Fahr.  for  several 
days  at  a  time  reaching  as  far  as  0  degree  Fahr.,  whilst  in  June  and 
July  the  maximum  readings  of  85  degrees  Fahr.  are  maintained  day 
after  day  with  little  or  no  rain. 

"The  country  is  covered  with  snow  in  the  winter,  rain  and  snow 
falling  frequently.  In  1.S94,  the  total  rainfall  at  Angora  was  8:12  inches, 
but  that  was  an  exceptionally  dry  season.  For  the  first  six  months  of 
1895  the  rainfall  was  10:10  inches,  which  is  somewhat  above  the  average, 
the  heaviest  rainfall  in  twenty-four  hours  having  been   1:20  inches. 

If  ]Mr.  Cumberbatch  had  been  writing  a  description  of 
Southwest  Texas,  he  could  hardly  have  described  it  better.  The 
only  material  difference  between  the  two  countries  is  the  char- 
acter of  the  valleys  in  Angora,  which  appear  to  be  subject  to 
overflows,  while  those  in  Southwest  Texas  are  not — a  feature 
decidedly  in  favor  of  the  latter  country.  The  altitude  and  gen- 
eral contour  of  the  two  countries  are  very  similar,  and  the  same 
will  apply  to  New  Mexico,  and  many  more  of  our  Western 
Territories. 

A  flock  of  goats  in  Turkey  usually  consists  of  about  three 
hundred  head,  which  is  always  attended  by  a  man  during  the 


The  Province  of  Angora.  jj 

day,  who  is  sometimes  assisted  by  several  dogs,  trained  to  stay 
with  the  flock  night  and  day.  Some  of  these  dogs  are  so 
ferocious  that  they  will  attack  anything  that  approaches  the 
flock,  and  it  is  dangerous  to  go  near  them,  unless  the  man  in 
charge  is  with  vou. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  ANGORA  GOAT  INTO  OTHER  COUNTRIES. 

The  following  century  after  Father  Belon  had  reported 
the  existence  of  the  Angora  goat  in  Asia  Minor,  or  about  KioO, 
Tournefort,  the  chief  Botanist  to  the  French  King,  reported  that 

"They  rear  the  finest  goats  in  the  world,  in  the  Champaign  of  An- 
gora. They  dazzle  with  their  whiteness,  and  their  hair,  which  is  as  fine 
^s  silk,  curling  naturally  in  tresses  eight  or  nine  inches  long,  is  the 
material  of  many  stufifs."     (See  Hayes,  p.  27.) 

Many  attempts  were  made  to  introduce  them  into  France, 
England  and  other  parts  of  Europe,  but  with  no  success. 
According  to  Dr.  Hayes  : 

"The  first  attempt  to  appropriate  the  race  in  Europe  was  made  by  the 
Spanish  government,  which  imported  a  flock  in  1765.  Next  followed 
the  importation  of  President  Tour  d'Aigues,  who  introduced  some 
hundred  upon  the  Low  Alps  in  1787.  *  *  *  Towards  the  end  of  the 
last  century,  Louis  XVI  imported  a  flock  of  Angoras  to  Rambouillet, 
but  this,  as  well  as  the  flocks  of  Tour  d'Aigues,  disappeared  in  conse- 
quence of  the  revolution.  The  best  results  were  obtained  in  Spain  from 
the  importation  of  a  flock  of  one  hundred,  in  1830,  by  the  King  of  Spain." 
(See  Hayes,  p.  34.) 

Sir  Titus  Salt,  together  with  the  Earl  of  Derby,  intro- 
duced them  into  England  about  1837,  but  these  soon  died  out. 
In  1849.  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  brought  nine  head  into  the  United 
States.  * 

They  were  introduced  into  Australia  about  1850,  and  prom- 
ised to  become  quite  a  factor  in  the  agricultural  pursuits  of 
that  cotmtry  at  one  time,  but  from  some  cause  or  other,  the 
industry  was  not  kept  up. 


*Seven  grown  goats  were  imported   and  two  kids  were  born  en- 
route  to  this  country. 


Distribution  of  the  Angora  Goat  Into  Other  Countries.         J5 

A  very  unique  attempt  at  localizing  them  was  made  in 
the  Fiji  Islands  by  Mr.  R.  B.  Leafe.  an  EngUsh  gentleman,  who 
owns  the  small  island  of  Nannuna,  in  1874.  In  referring  to  this, 
Dr.  Hayes  copies  the  following  interesting  account  from  a  book 
entitled,  "At  Home  in  Fiji,"  by  C.  F.  Gordon,  an  authoress,  and 
traveler  of  high  reputation  : 

"One  of  Mr.  Leafe's  most  anxious  experiments  has  been  the  in- 
troduction of  Angora  goats,  lovely  white  creatures,  with  long,  silky 
fleeces. 

"At  great  expense  he  procured  two  pairs,  and,  having  killed  ofif  all 
the  male  wild  goats  on  the  island,  these  beautiful  strangers  were  estab- 
lished as  monarchs  of  the  isle,  so  the  flock  is  now  exceedingly  pretty. 
There  are  230  mothers  of  all  varieties  of  color,  and  each  has  either 
one  or  two  pure  white  kids,  all,  without  exception,  tatdng  after 
their  fathers.  The  fine  silky  hair  is  not  the  sole  advantage  of  introducing 
the  Angora  Goat— its  flesh  is  said  to  be  more  tender  than  mutton,  with 
a  slight  flavor  of  venison,  and,  moreover,  such  a  flock  will  thrive  where 
sheep  could  not  find  a  living."*     See  Hayes,  page  93. 

Thev  were  first  introduced  into  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa, 
in  1838,  bv  Col.  Henderson,  formerly  of  Bombay,  India.  See 
Schreiner,  p.  170. 

In  1856,  and  1857,  quite  a  general  interest  was  manifested 
on  the  part  of  Cape  Town  merchants,  to  introduce  them  upon 
a  large  scale,  and  establish  a  mohair-growing  industry  of  some 
magnitude.  Sir  Titus  Salt,  who  had  made  a  failure  in  raising 
them  in  England,  was  very  glad  to  co-operate  in  this  move- 
ment, as  he  was  then  largely  interested  in  manufacturing  mo- 
hair, and  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  extend  its  growth.  Every 
importation  that  was  made  to  Cape  Town  found  ready  sale  to 
farmers,  at  satisfactory  prices,  and  the  importations  continued 
from  time  to  time  until  upwards  of  3000  head  had  been  quietly 
transferred  to  the  hills  of  South  Africa,  which  were  thriving  as 
well  or  better  there  than  they  had  in  their  native  home. 

The  Turks  had  been  encouraged  to  believe  from  the  many 
failures  that  had  been  made  in  locating  their  favorite  animal 
in  foreign  countries,  that  it  was  not  possible  to  propagate  them 


*The  Encyclopedia  Brittanica  states  that  mohair  has  been  shipped  to 
England  from  the  Fiji  Islands,  but  does  not  give  the  quantity. 


j6  A  Xczi'  Industry. 

anywhere  except  in  Turkey ;  or,  in  other  words,  that  nature 
had  given  to  Turkey  the  exclusive  privilege  of  raising  these 
beautiful  animals,  and  it  was  not  until  about  1875  that  they  began 
to  realize  their  mistake,  which  they  did  through  the  astonishing 
growth  of  the  mohair  industry  in  South  Africa.  From  prac- 
tically nothing  in  1860,  which  was  the  first  shipment  made  from 
that  country,  of  only  385  pounds,  the  exports  reached  the  very 
handsome  total  of  2,280,000  pounds  in  1879  ;  nearly  one-half  the 
amount  that  Turkey  was  then  producing. 

To  be  more  exact : 

The  Turkish  exports  to  England  in  1879  were  4,641,000 
pounds.  The  Cape,  or  South  African,  exports  in  1879  were 
2,280,000  pounds. 

The  Turks,  for  the  first  time,  realized  the  mistake  they 
had  made  in  thinking  they  had  been  selected  as  the  only  cus- 
todian of  the  Angora  goat.  Their  jealousy  was  aroused,  and  by 
persistent  appeals  to  the  Sultan,  they  succeeded  in  having  an 
edict  passed,  in  1880,  prohibiting  the  shipment  of  any  more 
of  their  precious  animals,  which  they  all  but  worshipped.  The 
seed,  however,  had  been  planted,  and  the  South  African  industry 
continued  to  increase  until  it  is  now  (1899)  greater  than  that 
of  Turkey — a  very  fair  sample  of  what  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise can  accomplish  in  competition  with  ignorance  and  super- 
stition. 

Since  the  edict  of  the  Sultan,  prohibiting  the  shipment  ot 
Angora  goats,  only  two  legal  shipments  have  been  made  from 
Turkey.  Permission  for  the  first  one  was  obtained  through 
the  influence  of  H.  B.  M.  Ambassador  to  the  Sublime  Porte 
Sir  Philip  Currie.  In  this  connection  the  following  letter  from 
Mr.  George  Gatherall  to  the  "Eastern  Province  Herald,"  Port 
Elizabeth,  dated  Constantinople,  4th  Nov.,  1895,  will  be  inter- 
esting reading.     Mr.  Geo.  Gatherall  wrote  as  follows  : 

"In  May  last,  owing  to  the  presence  of  H.  B.  i\I.'s  Ambassador 
and  to  a  favorable  turn  in  the  mind  of  His  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Sul- 
tan, I  obtained  an  Imperial  concession  to  export  Angora  mohair  goats, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  government  ^•tated  that  it  would  be  the  very 
last  granted.     As  soon  as  the  fleece  had  sufficiently  grown  to  show  the 


Distribution  of  the  Aiigora  Goat  Into  Other  Countries.         57 

quality  of  the  mohair,  namely,  early  in  August,  I  sent  my  experienced 
men  to  buy  the  goats,  and  during  two  months  I  had  an  unceasing  con- 
flict to  get  the  animals  safely  out  of  the  country.  Immediately  that  it 
became  known  that  goats  were  to  be  exported  again,  an  influential 
meeting  of  all  the  mohair  merchants  and  dealers  took  place  in  Con- 
stantinople, and  decided  to  oppose  the  eiTort  by  every  means  in  their 
power. 

They  wrote  to  all  their  agents,  up  country,  to  represent  to  the  farmers 
that  export  of  bucks  meant  mohair  coming  back  to  14d  (■28c  American  mon- 
ey):  that  the  reason  of  the  late  advance  was  the  prohibition  of  export  to 
the  Cape,  which  had  led  to  the  degeneration  of  the  Cape  hair.  The  dealers 
also  brought  influence  to  bear  on  the  Governor  General  of  the  two 
provinces  where  purchases  were  to  be  made,  and  through  which  the 
animals  had  to  pass,  and  these  Governors  did  all  in  their  power  to 
prevent  purchases.  A  monster  petition,  under  the  auspices  of  the  An- 
gora Governor  General,  was  drawn  up,  signed,  and  addressed  to  H.  I. 
M.  the  sultan,  begging  His  Majesty  to  save  their  industry  from  ruin, 
and  to  prohibit  export.  The  Governors,  moreover,  sent  officials  to 
instruct  the  peasants  not  to  sell  any  goats.  The  goats  already  purchased 
were  to  be  given  back  to  the  peasants,  and,  finally,  my  man  was  taken 
ofT  under  arrest  to  the  chief  town  in  the  district. 

The  Turkish  populace  were  excited,  and  this  arrest  saved  my  man's 
life.  H.  B.  M.'s  Ambassador,  however,  took  the  matter  up  with  firmness 
and  promptitude.  Urgent  telegrams  were  obtained  from  the  Minister 
of  the  Interior  to  the  Governors-General,  instructing  them  to  remove 
obstacles  and  give  my  men  all  needful  help.  This  they  at  last  were 
compelled  to  do,  and,  accompanied  by  an  escort,  the  further  purchases 
were  made,  and  the  flock  protected  from  brigands  and  thieves,  who 
attempted  to  seize  the  animals.  After  nearly  two  months,  the  goats 
came  down,  just  as  Constantinople  was  in  a  state  of  terror  and  massacre, 
one  of  my  men  being  knocked  down,  bayonetted  and  left  for  dead  in 
the  street.  Finally  the  flock  which  had  been  selected  with  so  much 
care,  and  at  the  serious  risk  of  life,  was  shipped  for  Southampton  on 
the  16th  of  October  last.  The  flock  consists  of  115  goats  ordered  by 
Messrs.  Mosenthall  Sons  &  Co.,  and  fifty  goats  ordered  by  the  Rt. 
Hon.  Cecil  Rhodes.  The  entire  shipment  is  the  result  of  a  very  careful 
and  painstaking  selection  by  experienced  judges,  and  chosen  from 
thousands  of  the  very  best  flocks  in  the  very  best  districts  of  Asia 
"Alinor.  Thesj  animals  should  please  your  judges,  I  think.  I  have 
always  pleased  them  hitherto,  and  these  in  my  opinion,  are  the  finest 
that  have  ever  been  sent  to  the  Cape." 

"Eleven  Months  later,  Mr.  George  Gatherall  sent  another 
consignment  of  Angoras  to  Messrs.  A.  Mosenthall  &  Co.    They 


?<^  A  Nczv  Industry. 

were  landed  at  Port  Elizabeth,  on  the  (ith  of  November,  189G, 
and  consisted  of  thirty-three  rams  and  thirty  ewes.  See 
Schreiner,  page  214:. 

These  have  been  the  last  shipments  of  Angora  Goats  from 
Turkey. 

Dr.  Hayes  refers  to  an  attempt  to  introduce  the  Angora 
on  Guadaloupe  Island  in  the  Pacific  ocean,  which  he  says  was 
well  stocked  with  the  common  goat ;  but,  the  enterprise  failed, 
because,  as  he  puts  it, 

"In  such  conditions,  as  is  well  known,  it  is  not  the  best,  but  the 
strongest,  race  (which  in  this  case  would  be  the  native)  that  survives." 

This,  however,  does  not  seem  to  have  been  the  reason  of 
the  failure,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  account  furnished 
by  Air.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  who  was  one  of  the  principals  en- 
gaged in  the  enterprise : 

-GUADALOUPE  ISLAND  is  situated  ofi  the  coast  of  Low- 
er California,  about  210  miles  south  by  one-half  west  from  San 
Diego,  California.  It  is  about  sixteen  miles  wide,  by  thirty  long, 
and  contains  in  the  vicinity  of  SOOj'^OO  acres  of  rough  mountainous 
land,  having  an  altitude  in  places  of  4000  feet  above  sea  level. 
It  is  well  covered  with  brush,  and  is  an  ideal  spot  for  the  goat. 

In  18()8  and  1869  it  was  estimated  there  were  not  less  than 
80,000  head  of  the  common  short  haired  variety  of  goats  on  this 
island,  which,  it  is  supposed,  were  first  started  by  the  English 
explorer  and  navigator,  Captain  James  Cook,  during  the  eight- 
eenth century. 

This  island  belongs  to  the  government  of  Mexico,  and  was 
granted  to  General  Valdethe,  and  Florencea  Sevana  for  services 
rendered  by  them;  and,  in,  or  about,  1870,  a  company  of  Ameri- 
cans was  formed,  consisting  of  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  Car  Abbott, 
P>.  Boswell,  and  others,  all  of  California,  at  the  time,  for  the 
purpose  of  introducing  some  Angora  Goats  on  this  island,  with 
the  expectation  of  improving  the  character  of  the  common 
goats  by  crossing  them  with  the  Angora. 

By  an  arrangement  with  the  heirs  of  General  Valdethe  and 
Florencea  Sevana.  this  company  got  the  exclusive  privilege  of 


Distribution  of  the  Angora  Goat  Into  Other  Countries.         jp 

using  the  island,  and  they  placed  upon  it  in  1872  or  '73  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  1200  head  of  high-grade  Angora  does  and  100  pure- 
bred bucks,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  and  it  was  their  intention  to 
kill  ofi  all  the  native  males  as  fast  as  they  could  for  their  hides 
and  tallow. 

Air.  Landurni  was  made  president  and  general  manager 
of  the  company,  and  he  writes  me  that  the  Angora  did  re- 
markably well  and  improved  rapidly.  After  they  had  been 
on  the  island  sixteen  months,  he  sheared  one  doe  that  had 
mohair  22  inches  long,  of  perfect  staple,  and  the  fleece  under 
the  belly  was  much  worn  by  being  dragged  over  the  rocks  (Mr. 
Jno.  S.  Harris,  of  Idaho,  mentions  having  seen  a  sample  of 
this  hair  in  Constantinople  in  1876,  which  Mr.  Landrum  had 
sent  to  Mr.  Jno.  R.  Thompson  of  Constantinople). 

Mr.  Landrum  adds :  "The  island  is  especially  adapted  to 
the  raising  of  mohair  goats,  but  we  made  a  failure  owing  to 
the  fact  that  we  did  not  have  honest  men  to  take  charge  of 
the  work,  and  upon  three  occasions  they  ran  ofif  with  all  the 
skins  they  had  taken,  together  with  the  tallow,  and  we  were 
finally  compelled  to  abandon  the  enterprise,  after  expending 
upwards  of  $30,000  in  labor  and  expenses." 

Mr.  Landrum  is  well  satisfied  that  a  great  fortune  could 
be  made  by  some  one  who  would  be  willing  to  live  on  the 
island,  but  that  he  was  too  old  to  think  of  living  in  such  a  way, 
and  there  were  none  in  the  company  who  cared  to  exile  them- 
selves on  such  a  lonely  spot. 

ANGORA  GOATS  IN  CANADA. 

It  is  surprising  that  the  Angora  goat  has  never  been  intro- 
duced into  Canada,  more  particularly  as  they  are  very  fond  of 
the-  "Canada  Thistle"  (see  "Notes  from  Practical  Breeders"), 
which  is  so  objectionable  to  the  farming  industry  in  that  coun- 
try, as  to  require  the  most  stringent  legislation  to  keep  it  from 
spreading.  The  following  letter  received  from  Mr.  Albert  J. 
Hill,  member  "Canadian  Society  Civil  Engineers  of  British 
Columbia,"  is  interesting,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will  be 
successful  in  getting  the  industrv  started  at  an  earlv  dav. 


40  A  Nciv  Industry. 

New  Westminster,  B.  C, 

S-^pt.  7th.  1899. 
W.  L.  Black.  Esq.. 

Dear  Sir — I  am  sorry  to  say  that,  though  I  have  been  trying  to  work 
up  the  industry  in  this  Province,  other  business  calls  have  operated  against 
the  devotion  of  sufficient  time  to  the  project  to  make  it.  so  far  a  success 
though  recently,  offers  of  capital  from  England  to  introduce  the  industry 
on  a  large  scale  promise  an  early  organization  of  our  enterprise.  Up 
to  the  present  there  are  practically  no  Angoras  in  British  Columbia, 
though  the  Province,  both  in  climate  and  othervi'ise,  seems  to  be  pecul- 
iarly fitted  for  them.  Splendid  insular  ranges  exist  all  along  the  coast, 
capable  of  carrying  many  thousands  of  head,  and  free  from  all  predatory 
animals,  or  other  hurtful  conditions,  while  the  interior  offers  millions  of 
acres  of  brushy  mountain  range,  well  adapted  to  this  industry  and  noth- 
ing else.  These  lands  vary  from  ocean  level  to  8000  feet  above,  providing 
an  ever-changing  supply  of  herbage,  and  abundance  of  pasturage,  as  the 
snows  leave  the  slopes  with  advancing  summer,  or  urges  the  bands  down- 
wards as  winter  approaches. 

The  insular  ranges  have  practically  no  winter,  the  climate  being  such 
that  the  animals  will  not  accept  shelter  the  year  round,  and  in  one  instance 
a  few  of  them  h:\ve  actually  run  wild,  and  are,  I  believe,  increasing  on 
the  higher  parts  of  the  island  away  from  any  any  human  care. 

Yours  faithfully. 

ALBERT  J.  HILL. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CHARACTER    OF    THE    EARLY    ANGORA    GOAT. 

The  character  of  the  Angora  Goat  in  Turkey  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century  was  very  chflferent  from  what  it 
is  today.  We  are  told  by  all  authorities  on  the  subject  that 
they  were  then  a  very  small,  delicate  animal,  shearing  from  2 
to  23/2  pounds  of  mohair,  according  to  sex,  and  age,"  while  at 
the  present  time  it  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  of  individual  bucks 
shearing  as  high  as  15  to  18  pounds,  and  does  shearing  9  to  10 
pounds.  In  summing  up  his  investigation  upon  this  subject, 
Mr.  Schreiner  says : 

"I  think  it  is  certain  that  the  original  pure-bred  white  mohair  goat 
was  a  small,  very  refined,  delicate  animal  of  great  beauty,  clipping  at 
twelve  months'  growth  of  fleece  about  two  to  four  pounds  (accord- 
ing to  sex  and  age  —  kids  considerably  less)  of  dazzling  white, 
fine,  soft,  silky,  very  lustrous  mohair,  curling  in  ringlets  from 
eight  to  ten  inches  long,  with  merely  the  minimum  of  oil  in  its  fleece 
requisite   to   the   growth   of   hair   of  the   highest   excellence,   so   small   in 


^According  to  a  report  in  the  Encyclopedia  Brit,  (see  Vol.  X,  p.  708): 
"The  Angora  goat  is  often  confounded  with  the  Cashmere,  but  is,  in 
reality,  quite  distinct  from  it.  The  principle  feature  of  the  breed,  of  which 
there  are  two  or  three  varieties,  is  the  length  and  quality  of  its  hair,  which 
has  a  particularly  soft  and  silky  texture,  covering  the  whole  body  and  a 
great  part  of  the  legs,  with  close  matted  ringlets.  The  horns  of  the 
male  differ  from  those  of  the  female,  being  directed  vertically,  and  in  shape 
spiral,  whilst  in  the  female  they  have  a  horizontal  tendency  somewhat 
like  those  of  a  ram.  The  coat  is  composed  of  two  kinds  of  hair,  the  one 
short  and  coarse,  and  of  the  character  of  hair;  the  other  long  and  curly 
and  of  the  nature  of  wool,  forming  the  outer  covering.  Both  are  used 
by  the  manufacturer,  but  the  exterior  portion  which  makes  up  by  far  the 
greater  bulk  is  much  the  more  valuable.  The  average  amount  of  wool 
yielded  by  each  animal  is  about  ■2V3  pounds." 


42  A  New  Industry. 

amount  as  lo  be  inappreciable  to  the  unskilled  observer.  It  was  per- 
fectly clothed  in  every  part;  it  had  short  silky,  curly  hair  about  the 
lace  and  down  the  lower  parts  of  the  Itgs  to  the  hoofs,  a  soft,  silky 
curly  "kuif"  (tuft  on  the  forehead),  and  small,  thin,  light-colored  horns, 
The  ewe  was,  of  course,  smaller  and  finer  than  the  ram,  and  had  only 
one  kid  at  a  birth  (of  this  there  is  abundant  evidence).  Its  delicacy  was, 
no  doubt,  mainly  due  to  a  long  course  of  mbreeding,  perhaps,  also,  partly, 
to  the  desire  that  it  should  yield  hair  of  exquisite  fineness.  In  a  goat, 
refinement  and  delicacy  of  body,  and  fleece,  to  some  extent,  go  to- 
gether. I  do  not  think  it  possible  for  a  large,  powerful,  big-boned 
goat  to  produce  such  a  fleece  as  it  seems  evident  the  original  pure  An- 
gora carried.  This  long  course  of  in^irceding,  however,  while  it  ren- 
ders the  goat  delicate,  at  the  same  time  also  made  it  a  thoroughbred, 
in  the  truest  sense  of  the  term. 

'"ihere  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that,  speaking  generally,  it  had  been 
bred  true  to  type  for  many  centuries,  and  thus  has  acquired  to  an  al- 
most unique  extent,  that  one  distinguishing  quality  of  the  thorough- 
bred— ^;tc7/  antiquity  of  fixed  characterisfics.  This  gave  it  prepotency 
of  unusual  strength,  as  was  shown  by  the  certainty  and  rapidity  with 
which  the  rams  impressed  their  peculiar  characteristics  upon  their 
progeny  got  by  common  ewes,  a  fact  lully  established,  and  remarked 
upon  with  wonder  by  all  who  used  them  to  grade  up  from  common 
ewes  before  the  breed  had  lost  its  prestine  purity."  (See  Schreiner,  pp. 
•58-59. 

There  is  no  dotibt  that  Mr.  Schreiner's  deductions  are  cor- 
rect, and  it  is  more  than  probable  the  Turks  would  have  con- 
tinued the  practice  of  in,  and  in  breeding  had  it  not  been  for 
the  great  increase  in  the  demand  for  mohair,  which  began  in  the 
year  1837  and  continued  to  grow  much  faster  than  it  could 
be  supplied.  This  new  industry  in  England  began  with  the 
manufacture  of  alpaca,  and  the  value  of  both  mohair  and  alpaca 
naturally,  advanced  rapidly,  from  about  20c  in  1836-37,  to  up- 
wards of  75c  to  $1.00  a  pound  in  1860.  Under  the  influence  of 
such  seductive  chances  for  profit,  the  wily  Turk  commenced 
to  cross  his  Angoras  upon  the  conmion  ("Kurd")  goat  of  his 
country,  which  they  have  kept  up  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
to  the  present  time.  The  result  of  this  cross  has  produced  a 
complete  change  in  the  character  of  the  animal,  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  if  they  have  any  goats  in  Asia  Minor  today  that  can 
be  called  absolutely  pure. 


Character  of  the  Early  Angora  Goat.  ^5 

The  crossing  has,  however,  been  beneficial  in  more  ways 
than  one.  It  has  largely  increased  the  yield  of  mohair  in  Tur- 
key, and  has  changed  the  goat  from  a  small,  delicate  animal, 
shearing  2  to  2^  pounds,  to  a  strong  and  vigorous  one,  shear- 
ing 4  to  5  pounds  for  the  average  clipping  cf  ordinary  flocks. 


Dr.  James  B.  Davis. 


CHAPTER  V. 

INTRODUCTION    OF   THE   ANGORA  GOAT   INTO    THE  UNITED 
STATES. 

The  Angora  goat  was  first  introduced  into  the  United 
States  by  Dr.  James  B.  Davis,  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  1849.* 
This  gentleman  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  born  December 
.30th,  1807,  and  was  educated  at  the  Columbia,  S.  C,  college. 
He  graduated  as  a  physician  in  the  Medical  College  of  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  was  at  the  Transylvania  University  Medical  Depart- 
ment in  1829-30,  but  practiced  medicine  only  two  years.  On 
November  2d,  1830,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Scott^ 
and  devoted  his  time  afterwards  mainly  to  agriculture,  until 
he  was  appointed  by  President  Polk,  of  the  United  States,  in 
1814.  as  a  proper  person  to  introduce  the  culture  of  cotton  into 
Turkey,  in  response  to  a  request  from  the  Sultan.  His  experi- 
ments in  Turkey  lasted  about  three  years.  His  contract  with  the 
Turkish  Government  procured  him  an  annual  salary  of  $12,000 
in  gold,  besides  a  residence,  and  carriages  and  horses,  and 
when  he  was  about  to  abandon  his  work,  the  Sultan  was  pleased 
to  present  his  wife  with  a  purse  of  $20,000  additional — a  por- 
tion of  which  was  invested  in  buyirg  a  small  flock  of  Asiatic 
goats,  and  other  animals,  among  which  were  a  j  air  of  Brahmin 
cattle,  some  water  oxen,  and  a  Maltese  jack. 

Dr.  Davis  returned  to  the  United  States  in  1849,  and  re- 
mained  in   Charleston   and   vicinitv   for   some    time,    and   then 


*In  sending  nie  the  above  photograph  of  Dr.  Davis,  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  H.  K.  White,  now  of  Bryan,  Texas,  w^rites:  "Regretting  I  have  no 
later  picture  of  my  father,  I  send  you  a  small  miniature  of  him,  taken  in 
early  life — not  as  I  remember  him,  a  grand  looking  man  with  large  black 
eyes,  black  hair,  florid  complexion,  and  high  white  forehead,  a  man  of 
striking   appearance    and    courtly    manners." 


4<5  A  Nczv  Industry. 

moved  near  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  in  a  few  years  moved  back 
to  his  original  home  near  Monticello,  in  Fairfield  County,  where 
he  died  on  the  6th  of  May,  1859.* 

He  had  a  great  fondness  for  agricultural  affairs,  with  a 
very  decided  turn  for  experimenting  with  different  kinds  of 
live  stock  that  he  thought  would  be  adapted  to  the  Southern 
climate — a  fact  that  may  be  easily  inferred  from  the  following 
letter  to  the  U.  S.  Agtl.  Dept.  in  1853  : 

"In  1836,  having  had  some  experience  in  the  importation  of  short- 
horned,  Devon  and  Ayershire  cattle,  into  this  State,  I  then  summarily- 
advanced  an  opinion  that  all  cattle  brought  from  a  Northern  to  a 
Southern  climate  must  necessarily  degenerate  to  the  peculiarities  of 
our  location,  and  that  it  would  be  easier  to  improve  cattle  already 
acclimated  or  import  animals  from  a  still  trarmcr  region.  In  my  late 
sojourn  in  Asia  and  the  East,  I  had  reference  to  this  observation  in 
importing  Cashmere,  Scinde  and  Malta  milking  goats,  as  well  as  the 
Brahmin  ox,  or  Nagore  of  India;  the  Asiatic  bufYalo,  or  water  ox, 
and  other  animals."     See  Patent  Office  Report   1853,  page  20. 

These  animals,  it  would  seem,  were  imported  more  as  a 
matter  of  curiosity  and  experiment  than  with  a  view  to  the 
establishing  of  a  distinct  industry ;  but,  it  was  not  very  long  be- 
fore Dr.  Davis  realized  that  the  Western  Hemisphere  offered 
greater  advantages  for  the  production  of  mohair  than  the  East 
did.  In  the  letter  above  referred  to  he  makes  use  of  the  follow- 
ing language,  bearing  on  this  point : 

"In  locating  these  animals  in  different  sections  of  South  Carolina, 
I  can  sec  no  difiference  between  those  reared  here  and  the  imported, 
"with  the  exception  that  those  reared  in  this  state  are  finer  and  heavier 
fleeced  than  those  imported."     See  Pat.  Cff.  Rept.  1853,  page  20. 

He  continued  his  experiments  with  the  goats  for  a  few 
years,  during  which  he  sold  some  of  his  increase  to  parties  in 
New  York,  and  other  States,  where  they  proved  to  be  equally 


*The  foregoing  matter  is  taken  from  a  letter  from  Col.  Zimmerman 
Davis,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Water  Works 
of  that  city,  who  very  kindly  supplied  me  with  the  information  in  response 
to  my  inquiry,  and  in  another  letter  he  contributed  some  further  informa- 
tion touching  the  real  character  of  the  goats  that  Dr.  Davis  imported 
which  will  appear  later  under  a  proper  chapter. 


Introduction  of  Angora  Goats  Into  the  United  States.         47 

well  adapted,  and  in  1854,  he  disposed  of  his  entire  lot  of  pure- 
breeds,  to  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  who  had 
been  watching  his  experiments  with  no  little  interest  from  the 
very  beginning. 

The  late  Hon.  Israel  S.  Diehl,  in  his  paper  published  in  the 
U.  S.  Agtl.  Dept.  Rept.  of  1863,  referring  to  the  Angora  goat, 
says : 

"Nowhere,  however,  has  their  introduction  and  breeding  been  at- 
tended with  the  same  cheering  results  and  decided  success  as  in  our 
own  country,  and  this,  after  thorough  trial,  and  practical  experiments 
during  the  last  fifteen  years,  when  seven  were  first  imported  by  Dr. 
Davis  into  South  Carolina.  Since  that,  some  three  hundred  head  have 
been  imported  from  Angora,  at  various  times  and  seasons,  via  Con- 
stantinople and  Boston,  mainly  for  the  South  and  Southwest,  from 
which,  with  their  crosses,  a  numerous  progeny  and  various  small  flocks 
have  descended,  now  numbering  several  thousands,  and  scattered  fromlMas- 
sachusetts  to  California,  yet  still  mainly  confined  to  the  Southwestern 
States,  in  flocks  of  from  twelve  to  three  hundred,  and  more,  as  at  At- 
lanta, Georgia;  Gallatin  and  Nashville,  Tennessee;  Russellville,  Frank- 
fort, Paris  and  Georgetown,  Kentucky;  Greenville,  Lebanon,  ]\Iont- 
gomery  and  Bucyrus,  Ohio;  Green  County,  Indiana;  Chicago,  Decatur 
and  Evanstown,  Illinois;  St.  Louis,  Maramec  and  Fayette,  Missouri; 
Baltimore,  Maryland;  Leavenworth,  Kansas;  Brownsville,  Pittsburg. 
Washington  and  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  New  York,  Boston,  Bel- 
mont, Massachusetts;  Austin,  Texas;  Iowa,  Michigan,  Minnesota  and 
California,  with  other  localities,  where  they  have  been  thoroughly  tried, 
prospered  and  improved. 

"We  have  either  personally  visited  and  examined  most  of  the 
above-named  localities  and  flocks,  seen,  or  obtained,  animals  or  speci- 
mens of  the  wool,  comparing  them  with  what  we  saw  abroad,  and 
the  best  specimens  of  wool  to  be  obtained  from  abroad,  or  the  best 
imported  ones,  and  are  well  satisfied  and  thoroughly  convinced  that 
we  have  succeeded,  and  can  continue  to  succeed,  in  raising  this  valuable 
wool-bearing  animal,  with  its  precious  fleece,  almost  anywhere  through- 
out our  country  where  sheep  will  prosper,  especially  in  the  higher,  and 
colder,  localities,  producing  an  animal  more  hardy,  with  a  heavier  and 
more  valuable  fleece,  than  the  Angora,  or  Cashmere,  itself  in  its  own 
country.  The  specimens  of  wool  in  our  possession,  and  raised  in  this 
country,  are  found  generally  finer,  more  silky,  and  fleecy,  than  the  im- 
ported,  and   original,   ones." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SUBSEQUENT    IMPORTATIONS    INTO   THE   UNITED   STATES, 

Collecting-  correct  statistics  is  a  very  difficult  task  at  ain 
time,  but  more  particularly  when  they  extend  over  a  period  of 
nearly  fifty  years,  as  is  the  case  with  our  importations  of  Angora 
goats  ;  fortunately,  however,  we  have  a  living  member  in  the 
industry  who  has  been  intimate  with  nearly  every  importation 
that  has  been  made  to  the  United  States  since  Col.  Peters  first 
purchased  the  "Davis"  goats,  an(i  has,  perhaps,  given  closer  at- 
tention to  this  matter  than  any  other  person  in  our  country. 
I  refer  to  Mr.  W.  M.  Landrum,  now  of  Laguna,  Texas,  who 
was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  California,  and  was  the  starter 
of  the  industry  in  that  State,  as  early  as  18(il.  Through  the 
courtesy  of  this  gentleman,  I  am  able  to  give,  perhaps,  the 
closest  particulars  relating  to  each  importation  that  is  possible 
to  obtain,  as  Mr.  Landrum  personally  inspected  many  of  them, 
and  was  in  close  touch  with  those  who  examined  others. 

According  to  data  furnished  by  Mr.  Landrum  :  The  second 
importation  was  made  by  Mr.  W.  W.  Chenery,  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  about  the  year  ISGL  which  consisted  of  twentv  head, 
but  they  were  afYected  with  the  Asiatic  scab,  and  all  died. 

Mr.  Chenery  made  another  importation  in  18GG,  and  in 
the  spring  of  18GT,  still  another,  which  consisted  of  twenty  head 
each,  and  of  which  about  thirty  head  were  safely  landed  in  this 
country. 

Mr.  Landrum  writes  : 

"I  went  to  Boston  early  in  '67,  and  waited  for  the  arrival  of  the 
third  lot — selected  nine  head  out  of  the  second  lot  and  one  out  of  the 
third  shipment.  In  1870  Mr.  Charles  S.  Brown,  a  banker  of  New 
York  City,  associated  with  Hon.  Israel  S.  Diehl,  formerly  consul  to 
Batavia,  imported  150  head,  of  which  135  arrived." 


Subsequent  Importations  Into  the  United  States.  49 

Referring  to  this  importation,  he  says : 

"I  was  in  New  York  City  at  the  time  this  association  was  formed, 
and  contracted  for  the  first  choice  of  the  shipment.  When  they  arrived 
in  New  York  city,  I  took  the  first  steamer  for  my  goats.  I  found  the 
goats  on  Mr.  Brown's  farm  in  New  Jersey,  in  low,  swampy  land.  I 
selected  only  two  bucks,  one  of  which  was  the  notorious  hornless 
'Castomboul'  buck  that  sheared  20  pounds,  but  too  coarse  for  anything 
but  wigs.  Mr.  Diehl  arrived  in  Asia  just  after  the  goats  were  shorn, 
and  had  to  guess  at  what  he  bought.  Some  of  them  were  very  fine 
and  pure.  Out  of  this  importation,  only  about  thirty  or  forty  head 
survived  the  Asiatic  mange,  which  they  had  contracted."* 

"The  next  year,  1871,  Mr.  A.  Eutichides,  a  Greek  merchant,  left  Asia 
with  200  head  of  goats  for  the  United  States.  The  Asiatic  scab  broke 
out  on  the  way  to  this  country;  the  man  he  had  in  charge  of  them  died, 
and  only  about  100  were  landed.  These  were  taken  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  I  visited  the  flock  in  1872,  and  they  were  still  afflicted  with 
the  scab,  which  I  showed  him  how  to  cure.  I  had  caught  the  disease 
some  years  before  in  my  own  goats,  from  an  imported  buck,  and  had 
much  trouble  and  expense  to  get  rid  of  it. 

"In  1873,  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  imported  three 
goats  of  the  'Geredah'  variety,  through  Mr.  C.  W.  Jenks,  of  Boston, 
Mass. 

"The  next  importation  was  twelve  head,  made  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Harris, 
of  Holister,  Cal.,  associated  with  Mr.  Wm.  Hall  of  San  Jose,  Cal.  Mr.  Har- 
ris visited  Asia  in  person,  and  selected  the  animals,  which  were  taken  to 
California,  via  New  York,  in  1876." 

Summing  up  the  different  lots  that  have  been  imported, 
Mr.  Landrum  gives  the  following  figures : 

Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  started  with  7  head  and  had  two  kids  on 

shipboard 9 

W.  W.  Chenery,  60  head,  of  which  were  landed  only 30 

Chas.  S.  Brown  and  Hon.  Israel  S.  Diehl 135 

A.  Eutichides 100 

J.  S.  Harris  and  Wm.  Hall 12 

An  English  sea  captain  sold  to  W.  D.  Parish,  of  Texas 2 

Col.  Richard  Peters,  through  C.  W.  Jenks,  of  Boston 3 

Total 291 

*Mr.  Jno.  S.  Harris,  of  Oakley,  Idaho,  writes  we  with  reference  to  this 
importation  as  follows: 

"From  what  I  could  learn  from  the  Turks,   Minister  Diehl  did  not 


_50  A  Nczv  Industry. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Dodge,  for  many  years  chief  statistician  in  the 
U.  S.  Agtl.  Dept..  refers  to  an  importation  that  was  made  into 
Texas  l)y  Mr.  Price  Manrice,  a  weahhy  z\ustrahan  breeder. 
Mr.  Dodge  states,  in  a  communication  to  the  "Country  Gentle- 
man," that  Mr.  ]\Iaurice  imported  sixteen  rams  and  IGS  ewes,  for 
the  ranch  of  his  sons  in  Texas,  Maurice  Brothers,  in  1809,  1873 
and  18T3,  but  there  must  be  some  mistake  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Dodge  about  this  importation,  as  I  can  find  no  one  connected 
with  the  industry  in  Texas,  or  elsewhere,  who  has  any  knowl- 
edge of  it.  The  fact  of  Mr.  Price  Maurice  having  made  such  an 
importation  as  Mr.  Dodge  refers  to,  into  Australia  rather 
strengthens  the  opinion  that  he  is  in  error  in  saying  it  was 
made  to  the  United  States.  Refering  to  this,  Mr.  Schreiner,  on 
page  253  of  his  recent  work  on  the  Angora  Goat,  says: 

"In  18G0,  Mr.  Price  Maurice  imported  ten  pure-bred  Angoras 
into  South  Australia  from  Asia  Minor,  and  made  further  importations 
in  1871,  1872  and  1873,  in  all  sixteen  rams  and  rme  Jiundnd  aitd  suii/- 
eight  civcs." 

Another  importation  of  eight  head  is  mentioned  by  Col 
J.  Wash.  Watts,  of  Montville,  S.  C,  made  by  Hon.  Wm.  Henry 
Stiles,  of  Cartersville,  Georgia.  Col.  Watts,  in  a  recent  letter 
to  me,  says : 

"Mr.  Stiles  was  formerly  Minister  to  Australia,  and  made  an  im- 
portation of  Angora  goats  just  before  the  war.  I  saw  them  and  had 
an  ewe  from  them,  but  I  did  not  think  they  were  equal  to  the  'Davis' 
goats,  which  I  regard  the  best  that  have  ever  come  across  the  sea, 
though  the  'Stiles'  goats  were  larger  and  stouter  than  the  'Davis' 
goats,  but  inferior  in  fleece.  Col.  Stiles  died,  either  during  the  war,  or 
soon  after.  Where  his  goats  went  I  don't  know,  for  I  moved,  too, 
from  Georgia,  to  my  native  land  (South  Carolina).  Col.  Stiles  told  me 
he  assisted  Dr.  Davis  to  get  his  goats  out  of  Turkey." 

It  will  therefore  appear  that  we  have  received,  all  told,  the 
following  importations  of  Angora  Goats  : 


buy  his  goats  in  Angora,  but  in  Bai-Bazar.  I  stopped  a  day  and  night 
in  Bai-Bazar  with  an  American  gentleman  who  purchased  the  bulk 
of  mohair  grown  there  for  Jno.  R.  Thompson  of  Constantinople.  This 
gentleman  told  me  the  goats  that  Mr.  Diehl  bought  were  Al  and  he 
had  helped  to  purchase  them  for  him." 


Sitbscqiuvif  Iiiiportafious  Into  the  United  States.  51 

As  per  Mr.  Landrum's  statement,  291 ;  as  per  Col.  J.  Wash 
Watts'  statement,  8 ;  or  a  total  of  299,  of  which  it  is  reasonable 
to  believe  many  were  neglected  during  our  civil  war,  and  died, 
and  a  few  were  doubtless  of  an  inferior  character,  being  hardly 
entitled  to  the  term  "pure  bred." 

In  the  past  fifteen  years  about  twelve  head  of  Angoras 
have  been  imported  from  South  Africa,  but  the  most  of  these 
were  not  considered  as  good  as  some  of  the  best  stock  in  our 
own  country. 

In  1886,  Fink  &  Co.,  of  Leon  Springs,  Texas,  imported 
three  bucks  and  three  does.  Mr.  Geo.  A.  Hoerle  (of  which 
firm  he  was  then  a  partner)  writes  me  that  they  had, 

"Twenty-five  or  thirty  head  of  does  in  their  own  flock  superior  in 
every  way  to  the  ones  they  had  imported,  and  only  one  of  the  bucks 
was  considered  superior  to  what  they  had  themselves." 

In  1893,  Mr.  C.  P.  Bailey  made  his  first  importation,  and 
in  1899  he  made  a  second,  consisting  altogether  of  six  head. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SPREAD   OF    THE  ANGORA  GOAT  INDUSTRY   THROUGHOUT    THE 
VARIOUS   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES. 

According  to  a  paper  furnished  by  the  late  Hon.  Israel  S. 
Diehl,  the  Angora  goat  had  been  successfully  raised  in  no  less 
than  thirteen  of  the  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  as  early 
as  1862. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  to 
handle  the  animal,  through  Dr.  James  B.  Davis,  of  Columbia, 
as  early  as   1849. 

In  1853,  Dr.  Davis  wrote  to  the  U.  S.  Patent  Office  as 
follows : 

"On  my  arrival  I  immediately  procured  a  number  of  our  little  diminu- 
tive native  females  goats,  and  crossed  them  upon  a  Cashmere  buck.  Their 
progeny  had  very  fine  hair  but  little  longer  than  that  of  the  does.  I  again 
crossed  the  females  of  this  progeny  upon  the  other  Cashmere  buck,  and  it 
was  difficult  to  distinguish  these  from  the  {^itrc  breed,  and  the  subsequent 
cross  cannot  be  detected.  In  the  spring.  I  contemplate  effecting  still 
another  cross."     See  Pat.  Olif.  Report,  18r>3,  page  20. 

Only  a  few  goats  were  owned  by  Dr.  Davis,  and,  owing  to 
the  very  high  price  they  commanded,  it  is  natural  that  but  a 
limited  number  of  breeders  in  any  particular  State  could  become 
interested  in  them  very  soon.  Upon  this  subject,  Dr.  Davis 
writes : 

"I  consider  this  a  most  valuable  and  useful  experiment,  as  I  made 
arrangements  with  amateurs  to  sell  pure-bred  bucks  at  $100.*  *  In  ten 
days  all  the  pure-breds  were  taken,  with  a  demand  for  many  more.  * 
'"  *  I  have  located  them  from  the  top  of  the  mountains  to  the  sea- 
board, both  in  Carolina  and  Georgia."  See  U.  S.  Pat.  OfT.  Kept.  1853, 
page  21. 

*This  is  a  typographical  error  and  should  read  $1000.00,  as  will  be  seen 
later,  in  a  letter  from  Mrs.  H.   K.  White,  a  daughter  of  D.   Davis. 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   55 

Col.  J.  Wash  Watts  was  one  of  the  early  breeders  of  the 
goat  in  South  Carolina,  and  contributed  much  valuable  informa- 
tion about  them  through  the  work  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes,  "The 
Angora  Goat,  Its  Origin,  Culture  and  Products.  '  (1882.)  This 
gentleman  is  still  enjoying  good  health,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years,  and,  although  not  personally  interested  in  goats 
is  still  a  strong  believer  in  the  industry. 

In  a  recent  letter  to  the  writer,  Col.  Watts,  says : 

"I  do  not  know  how  many  goats  are  in  Soutli  Carolina,  but  very 
few,  I  never  owned  over  200  head  myself.  I  have  always  found  South 
CaroHna  well  adapted  to  raising  them." 

Col.  Watts  adds  some  very  interesting  and  valuable  infor- 
mation about  the  "Davis"  goats,  and  other  matters  concerning 
the  industry  which  I  believe  ought  to  be  preserved,  more  par- 
ticularly as  coming  from  so  eminent  an  authority,  and  one  sc 
long  familiar  with  the  Angora  in  this  country. 

Near   Montville,   S.    C,   Aug.   25,    1899. 
Mr.  Wm.   L.   Black. 

Dear  Sir — Your  letter  of  18th  came  to  hand  yesterday.  I  received 
a  copy  of  the  same  some  time  ago  from  Col.  Holloway,  which  I  hope 
you  have  received  before  now,  as  I  answered  promptly,  as  I  always 
do  such  letters,  but  for  fear  you  did  not  get  it,  I  will  answer  this  and 
forward  at  once.  I  wrote  a  card  this  morning  to  a  friend,  Maj.  Thomas 
W.  Woodward,  of  Winsboro,  S.  C,  to  give  you  the  address  of  some 
relative  of  Dr.  James  B.  Davis.  I  hope  he  will  do  so  at  once.  I 
have  outlived  nearly  all  of  my  old  friends,  near  my  age — in  a  few  days 
I  will  be  eighty,  and  in  better  health  than  when  I  was  young,  though  I 
have  given  up  my  stock  to  my  son,  who  is  enjoying  the  Bermuda 
pasture  that  I  made  in  my  prime.  My  stock  has  attended  every  State 
fair  that  has  been  held  here  since  the  war. 

"The  Hon.  Wm.  Henry  Stiles,  deceased,  who  lived  near  Carters- 
ville,  Ga.,  formerly  Minister  to  Austria,  made  an  importation  of 
Angora  goats,  just  before  the  war.  I  saw  them  and  had  an  ewe  from 
them,  but  I  do  not  think  they  were  equal  to  the  'Davis'  goats,  which  I 
regard  the  best  that  have  ever  come  across  the  sea,  though  the  'Stiles' 
goats  were  larger  and  stouter  than  the  'Davis'  goats,  but  inferior  in 
fleece  Col.  Stiles  died  either  during  the  v.'ar,  or  soon  after;  where  his 
goats  went  I  don't  know,  as  I  moved,  too,  from  Georgia  to  my  native 
land.  Col.  Stiles  told  me  that  he  assisted  Dr.  Davis  to  get  his  goats 
out  of  Turkey.     Dr.    Davis   also   bought  a  pair   of  cattle   that  he   called 


5^  A  Nc^v  Industry. 

Brahmin.  I  think  they  are  tlie  Nagore  bull  of  history;  also  a  pair  that 
he  called  water  oxen,  perhaps  the  African  btififalo.  He  sold  the  for- 
mer to  Eads  of  Kentucky  at  a  big  price;  there  are  many  grades  of 
them  in  this  State.  You  no  doubt  have  read  the  reports  of  committees 
appointed  by  the  'Georgia  Agricultural  Society'  to  determine  the  proper 
name  of  these  'Davis'  goats.  He  called  them  Cashmere.  You  will  find 
the  reports  in  the  Agricultural  Reports  from  the  Patent  Office  for 
1855  and  '57.  I  don't  recollect  whether  there  is  anything  in  1851).  The 
late  Dr.  John  Bachman,  of  Charleston,  was  chairman.  He  concluded 
that  they  were  neither  'Cashmere'  nor  'Angoras,'  but  a  more  valuable 
animal  than  either.  I  was  at  all  of  these  meetings  of  the  society. 
After  this  all  parties  became  satisfied  that  they  are  the  genuine  Angora 
goat.  I  roomed  with  Mr.  Peters  and  Dr.  Davis,  the  night  they  made 
the  trade,  which  years  after  Mr.  Peters  told  me  paid  him  better  than 
any  other  branch  of  his  farming  interest.  He  was  a  wonderful  man 
in  his  way,  and  deserves  to  be  on  the  top  of  the  list  of  Angora  owneri 
These  goats  have  one  peculiarity  that  is  different  from  all  other  animals: 
ihe  bucks  and  ewes  all  go  out  of  heat  alike,  and  come  in  together;  a 
buck  will  not  serve  an  ewe  out  of  season,  which  lasts  from  September, 
j.bout  four  months;  as  this  occurs  but  once  a  year,  a  grade  buck 
would  have  to  be  used  to  get  the  second  crop  of  kids.  In  crossing  to 
improve  the  fleece,  it  is  best  to  use  the  short-haired  goat,  as  you  can 
breed  on  the  fleece  quicker  than  you  can  change  the  long-haired  fleece. 
I  believe  all  the  ^^lexican,  and  South  American,  goats  have  the  short 
hair,  and  have  kids  twice  a  year,  which  they  nurse  well.  I  have  been 
talking  to  some  young  friends  about  getting  out  from  Texas,  or  Mex- 
ico, 500  to  1000  white  ewes  to  cross  with  the  Angora.  You  will  oblige 
me  by  letting  me  know  where  the  white  short-haired  goat  is  to  be  found, 
and  the  price,  and  how  often  they  have  kids,  and  how  many,  and  what 
would  likely  be  the  freight  from  Galveston  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  I 
had  a  few  of  these  Texas  goats  with  a  flock  of  sheep,  a  trio  of  us 
owned  in  Bosque  County,  before  and  during  the  war;  they  were  very 
large  for  goats.  I  would  like  to  see  several  thousand  of  these  goats 
in  this  S;ate.  I  could  not  answer  your  query  about  the  brush  pas- 
tures; ours  are  generally  old  fields,  with  shrubbery  growing  on  worn- 
out  lands.  We  have  the  Japan  clover,  or  Lespardeza,  which  grows 
well  on  all  kinds  of  lands,  and  does  its  own  sewing.  It  is  really  a  won- 
der to  us  how  it  came,  and  how  it  spreads.  Goats  and  sheep  are  very 
fond  of  it,  and  after  the  goats  take  a  run  over  this  pasture  they  will 
settle  down  and  take  a  good  bait  of  this  clover  and  lie  down  until  even- 
ing, when  they  go  again.  I  know  of  no  one,  except  my  son.  who  is 
giving  the  goat  of  any  breed  any  attention.  Cotton  is  their  crop 
for  money,  so,  as  this  is  about  to  fail  them,  they  will  soon  be  raising 
goats  or  sheep,  which  will  pay  some  profit  every  year.  The  goat  question  is 
coming   up,   even   in   the   North.      It   seems  that  the   Patent   Office   gave 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.    ^§ 

out  lately  the  letter  I  wrote  to  John  L.  Hayes,  which  the  'Springfield 
Republican'  published,  and  other  papers,  so  I  am  beset  with  letters 
from  Massachusetts  to  Florida  for  information.  As  I  own  no  goats 
now  of  any  kind,  it  is  rather  burdensome  to  write  an  essay  on  goats 
every  few  days.  If  I  can  assist  you  in  any  way  with  your  book,  I  will 
be  pleased  to  do  so;  so  don't  hesitate  to  call  on  me.  When  I  was  last 
in  Texas,  some  one  told  me  tha*^  some  person  near  San  Antonio  had 
two  thousand  of  these  white  goats,  that  I  -ixn  enquiring  after.  I  have 
had  a  few  Maltese  milk  goats  that  had  long  coarse  hair.  I  crossed 
them  with  the  Angora,  and  the  half-breeds  \yould  have  four  kids  a 
year,  and  one  had  three  at  a  birin.  One  was  a  wonderful  milker.  I 
loaned  her  to  a  friend  to  help  raise  his  twins,  and  she  did  her  part  well 
(See  statement  in  Hayes'  book,  page  55). 

I  had  also  a  South  American  milk  goat,  short  hair;  she  was  a 
fine  milker,  and  had  kids  twice  a  year.  I  had  at  one  time  two  hundred 
pure-breds  and  grades,  sold  a  hundred  at  one  time,  which  I  delivered  on 
Roane  mountain,  N.  C.  Several  were  kids.  We  drove  175  miles  across 
mountains  and  rivers,  but  never  lost  a  kid  or  goat;  though  as  we  had  to 
guard  them  from  eating  the  laurel,  and  ivy,  which  grew  abundantly  on 
both  sides  of  the  road.  I  formerly  herded  them  myself,  until  I  grew 
too  old  to  get  about  fast  enough.  I  could  turn  them  at  my  command, 
they  obeying  promptly.  If  our  old  lands — too  poor  for  cultivation — 
could  be  made  into  goat  pastures,  and  grazed  according  to  their  capacity, 
it  would  add  millions  to  the  farmers'  income,  but  our  people  have  so 
long  depended  on  the  one  crop,  cotton,  it  would  be  hard  to  change  their 
habits.  Very  truly, 

J.   WASH   WATTS. 

GEORGIA  was  the  second  State  to  become  interested  in  the 
Angora  goat  through  Col.   Richard  Peters,   of  Atlanta. 

Col.  Richard  Peters  was  born  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  10th  of  November,  1810,  and  passed  away  in  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  on  the  6th  of  February,  1889,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seven- 
ty-nine years.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Judge  Peters,  a  celebrated 
lawyer  of  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  who  was  Commissioner  of  Wai 
•in  1778,  afterwards  Secretary  of  War  for  six  months,  and  was 
a  member  of  Congress  in  1781,  and  the  organize,  of  the  first 
agricultural  society  that  was  started  in  the  United  States,  in 
1  785. 

Col.  Peters  was  educated  as  a  civil  engineer ;  and,  in  1842, 
he  left  Pennsylvania  for  the  purpose  of  locating  the  Georgia 
Railroad,  of  which  he  was  afterwards  superintendent  of  con- 
.-^truction,  but  resigned  this  position  to  engage  in  running  a  line 


^6  .     '        A  Nczv  Industry. 

of  stages  from  Covington — the  end  of  the  Georgia  Railroad  at 
that  time — into  Montgomery,  Alabama.  His  first  residence 
in  Georgia  was  Augusta,  where  he  lived  from  1843  until  1848 
when  he  moved  to  Atlanta,  and  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Thomp- 
son, a  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  Thompson  of  hotel  fame. 

He  was  very  successful  in  his  different  undertakings,  and 
was  identified  with  nearly  every  enterprise  which  had  for  its 
object  the  advancement  of  Atlanta;  and,  it  is  doubtless  due,  in 
a  great  measure,  to  his  practical  judgment  and  enterprise  that 
this  city  occupies  such  a  prominent  position  among  the  cities 
of  the  Southern  States  today.  In  religion  he  was  an  Episco- 
palian, and  a  devout  member  of  that  church.  In  politics,  he 
was  conservative  At  all  times ;  but,  having  lived  such  a  long 
life,  was  naturally  a  member  of  several  of  the  political  parties — 
first  an  Old  Line  Whig — a  Co-operationist — and,  after  the  war 
of  vSecession,  a  Democrat.  He  was  opposed  to  secession,  but 
having  adopted  Georgia  as  his  home,  was  true  to  the  South 
after  his  State  decided  to  secede  from  the  Union,  and  responded 
liberally  to  all  calls  that  were  made  upon  him.  He  was  director 
for  many  years  in  the  Georgia  Railroad,  and  took  a  great  inter- 
est in  all  railroad  work  in  the  State  and  was  one  of  the  original 
lessees  of  the  Western  &  Atlanta  railroad.  His  thorough  edu- 
cation had  enabled  him  to  become  a  practical  geologist  and 
chemist,  which  was  a  great  assistance  to  him  in  his  many  ex- 
periments in  agricultural  affairs,  which  occupied  much  of  his 
time  ;  and,  the  farmers  of  the  present  day,  are  indebted  largely 
to  his  liberalitv  for  the  many  improvements  they  now  enjoy  in 
farming  and  stock  raising.  His  inclination  towards  agriculture 
was  very  pronounced,  and  he  was  not  very  long  in  the  State 
before  he  had  secured  a  beautiful  tract  of  land  in  Gordon  County, 
in  the  Oothcaloga  valley.  In  referring  to  this  land  in  1878,  Col. 
Peters  stated  in  a  newspaper  interview: 

"I  never  saw  any  land  I  wanted  until  I  saw  the 
Oothcaloga  valley.  It  struck  me  because  it  looked  like  the 
Chester  County  lands  in  Pennsylvania,  where  I  had  been  at 
work  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad.  I  bought  1500  acres  in 
1817,  from  a  Cherokee  Indian,  and  learned  afterwards  that  the 


Col.  Richard  Peters. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   59 

geological  formation  is  exactly  that  of  Chester  County."  On 
this  land  Col.  Peters  established  a  great  farm  that  was  known 
over  a  large  portion  of  the  South,  and  was  considered  the  finest 
farm  property  in  the  State  of  Georgia.  It  was  ana  is  now  known 
as  the  "Peters'  Stock  Farm,''  and  was  the  pride  of  all  Georgians. 
He  spared  no  expense  in  improvments,  and  had  the  most  elab- 
orate barns  for  his  harvest  and  his  Hve  stock,  besides  a  most 
elegant  farm  house.  Not  one  acre  was  devoted  to  cotton,  the  en- 
tire area  of  tillable  land  (about  500  acres)  being  used  in  growing 
grasses,  wheat,  and  grain  crops  for  live  stock.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  when  Col.  Peters  established  this  farm,  in 
1847,  there  was  no  United  States  Experiment  Station  to  guide 
the  stranger  in  all  the  intricacies  of  farming.  He  had  to  do  it 
all  alone,  and  was  a  pioneer  in  many  things  that  are  now  known 
to  every  farmer's  boy  in  the  country.  To  use  the  Colonel's 
own  language,  taken  from  the  newspaper  interview  above  re- 
ferred to:  "I  started  out  on  the  theory  that  Western  grasses 
would  not  thrive  in  Cherokee,  Georgia ;  everybody  said 
they  wouldn't,  and  I  never  thought  of  trying.  I  spent  years 
in  trying  to  get  a  substitute  for  them.  I  sent  to  England,  all 
over  Europe,  and  into  Asia,  buying  grasses,  and  I  tried  them  all 
on  a  liberal  scale ;  at  last  I  have  reached  a  conclusion,  that 
would  have  been  worth  thousands  of  dollars  if  I  had  known  it  ten 
years  ago,  and  that  is  that  the  best  grasses  in  north  Georgia  are 
the  well-known  grasses  of  the  North  and  West,  orchard  grass, 
red  clo^'er,  and  l:)luc  grass,  for  the  shade.  Of  these,  red  clo- 
ver is  the  best,  of  which  I  have  pbnted  250  acres,  in  the  past 
few  years." 

The  same  difficulty  was  encountered  in  finding  cattle  that 
were  best  adapted  to  Georgia,  more  particularly  for  milk  and 
butter  purposes.  Colonel  Peters  expended  many  thousands 
of  dollars  in  experimenting  with  different  breeds  before  he 
found  the  right  kind.  He  paid  as  high  as  $1000  for  a  single 
Brahmin  bull,  which  had  been  suggested  to  hini  l^y  the  well- 
known  naturalist,  Dr.  Rachman,  of  Charleston.  S.  C. ;  and.  after 
spending  considerable  money  in  this  experiment,  he  tried  the 
Guernseys,  and  finally  drifted  into  Jerseys,  which  were  then 
becoming  very  fashionable  throughout  the  United  States. 


6o  A  Nczv  Industry. 

In  hogs  we  had  the  same  trouble,  trying  the  several  well- 
known  breeds,  like  Chester  White,  Poland  China,  Suffolk,  Xeo- 
politans.  Prince  Alberts,  Berkshires  and  Jersey  Red,  and  finally 
the  Essex,  which  he  found  to  be  the  most  profitable  hog  for  his 
State  In  sheep  he  spent  much  money,  and  also  made  experi- 
ments with  bees  and  chickens.  He  introduced  the  culture  of 
silk  in  the  South,  and  was  the  first  to  plant  sorghum  seed,  which 
has  since  grown  to  be  a  great  industry.  His  aim  seemed  to  be 
to  "blaze  the  ivay'  on  all  the  lines  of  agriculture,  so  that  farmers 
could  tell  how  to  carry  on  their  business  to  the  best  advantage, 
and  there  is  no  estimating  the  amount  of  good  that  has  resulted 
from  his  generosity  and  intelligent  work. 

When  he  was  asked  the  question,  "Does  stock  farming 
pay?"  his  reply  was  : 

"It  is  hard  to  answer  that  question.  You  see  through  what 
untold  realms  of  experiments  it  has  led  me.  I  had  to  demon- 
strate by  costly  trial,  many  things  that  are  now  axiomatic.  I 
spent  nearly  $50,000  for  different  breeds  of  animals,  only  to 
prove  that  they  were  not  adapted  to  our  climate  and  conditions, 
I  have  had  to  search,  and  explore,  for  everything,  from  crops, 
down  to  the  best  fertilizer  to  feed  them  with.  It  has  alway? 
been  my  policy  to  get  the  best  of  everything,  regardless,  in  a 
certain  sense,  of  the  cost." 

In  the  early  50"s,  Col.  Peters'  attention  was  attracted  to 
the  Angora  goats  that  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  had  imported  from  Asia 
Minor  in  184^,  and  he  determined  to  purchase  them  ii  he  could. 
Col.  J.  Wash  Watts,  of  ]\Iontville,  S.  C,  writes  me  that,  he 
was  present  at  the  time  Col.  Peters  made  the  trade  with  Dr. 
Davis,  through  which  he  was  to  get  all  of  his  pure-bred  Angoras 
at  $1,000.00  each,  and  adds :  "Col.  Peters  was  a  wonderful  man, 
in  his  way,  and  deserves  to  be  on  the  top  of  the  list  of  Angora 
breeders."  In  referring  to  this  purchase,  at  a  later  time,  the 
"Atlanta  Constitution"  sa}-s  : 

"His  venture  in  the  Angora  goat  was  a  characteristically 
bold,  and  sagacious,  movement,  requiring  nerve  and  foresight ; 
and,  while  an  apparent  extravagance,  and  seeming  folly,  was 
a  real  stroke  of  genius.' 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   6i 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  an  interview  that  Col. 
Peters  had,  in  1SS3,  with  the  illustrious  Henry  W.  Grady,  of 
the  "Atlanta  Constitution  :"  ■ 

'"How  did  you  get  into  the  Angora  goat  business?" 

"I  bought,  in  1855,  some  Angoras  from  the  first  importa- 
tion made  to  this  country  from  Turkey  in  Asia.  I  paid  $1000 
apiece  in  gold  for  Angora  ewes,  an  unequalled  price  then,  or  since. 
They  were  known  as  the  'Cashmere'  goats.  I  was  so  pleased 
with  them  that  I  made  two  importations  myself,  buying  selected 
animals,  from  the  best  flocks  in  Asia  Minor.  These  cost  me 
$250  apiece  in  gold.  I  then  became  satisfied  that  I  could  not 
get  perfect  animals  in  Asia. 

"It  is  part  of  rhe  religion  of  the  Turk  not  to  interfere  with 
the  natural  run  of  his  flocks.  The  goats  are  bred  carelessly, 
some  of  them  becoming  parti-colored  with  heavy  manes  on 
the  neck  and  along  the  back-bone. 

"It  took  me  twenty  years,  breeding  by  selection,  to  estab- 
lish a  perfect  animal,  and  get  rid  of  the  coarse  mane.  In 
breeding  up  to  perfection,  I  found  the  males  the  only  ones 
that  had  any  effect ;  selected  males  improved  the  stock,  no 
matter  what  the  females  were.  I  have  now  scores. of  finer  An- 
goras than  can  be  found  in  Asia.  They  represent  twenty  years 
of  breeding  by  selection,  and  the  sacrifice  of  every  imperfect 
male." 

"What  is  the  advantage  of  Angoras  over  sheep?" 

"They  do  not  have  to  be  watched  as  sheep  do.  They  take 
care  of  themselves,  come  home  at  night  regularly  with  a  shep- 
herd, while  sheep  have  to  be  herded  and  driven  every  night 
to  the  fold.  They  are  hardier  than  sheep,  and  live  on  less. 
You  can  count  on  a  flock  doubling  every  year,  while  sheep,  un- 
der the  same  circumstances,  only  average  80  per  cent  increase. 
They  do  not  need  to  be  put  in  close  stables  like  sheep ;  thev 
want  a  hillside  range,  where  they  can  browse  instead  of  grazing. 
In  Asia  they  live  on  the  leaves  and  shoots  of  the  scrub  oak. 
Pure  Angora  bucks  crossed  on  native  goats,  after  eight  to  ten 
generations,  produce  animals  that  you  cannot  distinguish  from 
the  pure-breed." 


62  A  Nciv  Industry. 

'"What  is  the  chief  vakie  of  the  Angora?" 

"The  wool ;  it  brings  from  30c  to  60c  a  pound,  and  a  goat 
will  average  three  pounds  safely  per  head.  Formerly  we  had 
to  ship  the  wool  to  England,  but  now  the  Tingue  Manufacturing 
Company  of  Seymour,  Conn.,  will  purchase  every  pound  to 
be  had,  paying  the  highest  market  price  for  it.  The  use  of 
goats"  wool  is  being  increased  rapidly.  For  a  long  time  only 
fancy  articles  were  made  from  it.  Now,  all  the  plush  you  see 
on  the  seats  of  the  railroad  cars  is  made  from  it,  and  it  is 
used  for  a  great  many  other  purposes.  At  last  we  have  realized 
the  significance  of  the  old  adage,  'going  to  a  goat's  house  for 
wool !'  In  olden  times  it  was  spoken  in  ridicule,  but  now  we 
accept  it  as  a  verity." 

During  the  civil  war.  Col.  Peters'  magnificent  farm  was 
totally  ruined  when  Sherman  invaded  Georgia,  and  his  fine 
barns  were  burned  to  the  ground.  He  managed  to  save  his 
goats  by  driving  them  into  Florida  before  the  army  had  reached 
Atlanta.  It  was  a  serious  question  with  him  for  some  time 
after  the  war,  whether  he  would  re-establish  his  farm  or  not, 
but  finall\-  decided  to  do  so,  and  it  was  managed  for  some 
time  by  his  son,  Richard  Peters,  Jr.,  with  great  skill.  His 
daughter,  Mrs.  N.  P.  Black,  the  widow  of  ex-Congressman 
Black,  of  Georgia,  has  lately  assumed  the  management,  and  in 
a  recent  communication  she  says  :  "A  love  of  farming  seems 
to  have  come  to  me  by  inheritance,  and,  for  this  reason.  I  as- 
sumed the  charge  of  afifairs  three  vtars  ago  (189(i).  The  farm, 
is  in  fine  condition,  and  is  a  worthy  monument  to  mv  father's 
name.  I  would  state  that  we  are  no  longer  engaged  in  the 
goat  business,  having  sold  out  our  entire  lot  to  Dr.  J.  R. 
Standley,  of  Piatt eviile,  Iowa.  W'e  are  now  making  a  specialty 
of  Essex  hogs  and  Jersey  cattle." 

In  1S91,  Col.  Peters,  in  company  with  Col.  G.  W.  Adair, 
built  the  first  eleven  miles  of  street  railway  in  Atlanta,  of  which 
company  he  was  president.  His  pen  was  always  ready  when 
he  believed  he  could  benefit  his  fellow-men  in  any  of  the  ex- 
periments he  had  conducted,  and  he  contributed  many  articles 
to  magazines  and  newspapers  upon  subjects  relating  to  horti- 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories,   dj 

culture,  agriculture  and  live  stock  raising,  on  scientific  lines. 
The  surviving  members  of  his  family  are  a  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren— three  sons,  Richard,  Ralph  and  Edward  ;  and  three 
daughters,  Mrs.  Black,  widow  of  the  late  ex-Congressman 
Black,  Miss  Nellie  Peters  and  Mrs.  Atkinson  (H.  M.) 

In  referring  to  Col.  Peters'  death,  the  "Atlanta  Constitu- 
tion" remarks : 

"His  children,  from  infancy  to  majority,  were  his  constant 
companions,  and  were  influenced  by  him  as  their  character 
was  formed;  and  no  father  ever  had  better  children.  His 
friendship  was  of  the  purest  type,  and  wholly  unselfish,  while 
his  character  was  unblemished.  There  was  nothing  little,  or 
parsimonious,  about  him.  He  leaves  a  large  estate,  which  has 
long  since  been  disposed  of  by  will,  the  bulk  of  it  being  repre- 
sented in  the  "Peters  Land  Company,"  of  which  Edward  C. 
Peters  is  President." 

Referring  to  the  success  of  raismg  the  Angora  in  Georgia, 
Dr.  Hayes  quotes  the  following  letter  from  Col.  Peters,  dated 
22(.\  of  December,  18T7  : 

"I  have  had  great  success  in  Angoras,  and  regard  them  as  among 
the  most  valuable  acquisitions  to  the  resources  of  our  husbandry.  They 
have  yielded  me  more  substantial  pecuniary  profit  than  any  other 
branch  oi  my  extended  stock  investments.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
in  the  range  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  extending  from  Alabama  to  Virginia, 
they  would  find  all  the  requirements  of  their  nature,  utilize  a  vast  country, 
and  prove  a  source  of  great  benefit  and  profit  to  all  interested."  Hayes, 
page  59. 

The  constant  demand  for  pure-bred  stock,  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  kept  Col.  Peters'  flock  down,  and  he  was  never 
able  to  accumulate  any  large  number  of  goats  at  one  time.  It  is 
surprising  that  the  industry  was  not  taken  up  by  the  farmers 
in  Georgia,  which  is  doubtless  explained  by  the  fact  that  they 
were  very  mucli  impoverished  after  the  war  of  18G1-65;  and, 
as  cotton  was  high,  they  devoted  their  energies  to  raising  this 
crop  alone.  From  the  best  information  I  can  obtain,  there 
are  not  more  than  three  hundred  Angoras  in  Georgia  at  the 
present  time. 


64  ^   Nczv  Indiisfry. 

KEXTUCKY  was  one  of  the  earl}-  States  to  take  an  in- 
terest in  breeding  the  x\ngora,  through  Col.  Robert  W.  Scott 
of  Frankfort — since  deceased. 

In  referring  to  this  gentleman.  Dr.  Hayes  says  : 

"An  esteemed  correspondent,  Robt.  W.  Scott,  P.  O.  Frankfort,  Ky., 
better  known  as  the  creator  of  the  improved  Kentucky  sheep,  has  kindly 
sent  me  all  his  published  communications  on  the  Angora  goat,  of  which 
he  has  been  a  breeder  from  the  pure  'Davis.'  "Peters'  and  'Eutichides' 
stock  since  1802.  Specimens  of  the  fleeces  from  his  pure,  and  cross- 
bred animals  were  examined  by  the  distinguished  expert  on  wool  fiber, 
IMr.  Henry  Mitchell,  since  president  of  the  Bradford  Board  of  Trade, 
and  myself,  as  official  judges,  and  were  highly  commended.  From  these 
■communications   I  select  the  following  observations: 

"The  gay  and  intelligent  appearance  of  the  Angora  goatc,  their 
cleanly  habits,  active  and  playful  disposition,  make  them  attractive  on  a 
farm;  while  in  their  natures  they  are  so  docile  that  they  may  be  raised 
so  as  to  be  familiar  about  the  house  and  yard,  as  the  dog  or  cat. 
Though  they  have  great  curiosity  and  enterprise,  they  also  have  strong 
local  attachments,  and  after  wandering  all  day,  will  generally  seek  their 
usual  shelter  at  night,  especially  if  the  weather  is  inclement.  Thi^y  do 
not  break  fences,  or  clear  them  at  a  single  bound,  as  most  other  stock 
do,  but  will  pass  through  a  hole  which  is  already  made;  will  climb  up  a 
rail  which  leans  at  about  forty-five  degrees,  or  will  bound  on  top  of 
and  then  over  a  low  fence.  Any  good  farm  fence,  five  feet  high,  will 
keep  them  securely,  except  a  stone  fence,  which  may  be  made  easily  goat- 
proof  by  confining,  to  timbers  placed  across  the  top  of  the  fence,  a 
strip  of  plank  so  placed  as  to  project  about  a  foot  from  the  top  of  the 
fence  on  each  side,  so  as  to  strike  the  goat  in  the  face,  and  knock  it  back, 
if  ii  attempts  to  run  over  the  fence.  Hedge  fences  are  not  suitable  to 
keep  them,  as  they  will  browse  on  the  osage-orange,  or  any  other  shrub, 
to  such  an  extent,  as  to  destroy  it  as  a  fence,  by  making  it  too  open  at 
the  bottom.  Like  other  stock,  they  are  more  troublesome  after  they  have 
acquired  roaming  and  breachy  habits.  They  bear  coupling,  hobbling,  and 
tethering,  better  than  any  other  stock.  In  their  diet  they  are  almost  om- 
nivorous, eating  in  winter  often  what  they  have  rejected  in  summer.  On 
large  farms  much  the  greater  portion  of  their  diet  will  consist  of  weeds, 
bushes,  briers,  fallen  leaves,  brush,  etc.,  and  they  are  truly  valuable  for 
keeping  lands  clear  of  these.  In  winter,  short  grass  and  corn-fodder 
are  all  that  is  required,  even  by  the  breeding  flock,  and  I  never  fed  grain 
of  any  kind  to  them,  at  any  season,  except  some  sheaf  oats  to  old  and  in- 
firm ones. 

"A  dry  slicltcr  is  desirable  for  them,  especially  in  the  lambing  season; 
though  my  flock  of  males  and  wethers,  even  after  they  have  been  shorn  in 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   65 

April,  has  never  had  any  other  protection  than  what  they  could  obtain 
around  a  hay  or  straw  stack. 

"The  females  have  no  perciptible  and  repulsive  odor  at  any  season 
and  the  males  only  during  the  breeding  season,  when  they  urinate  on 
their  fore-legs  and  beards;  but  their  habits  and  odor  are  much  less  of¥en- 
sivv;  than  in  the  native  goat,  and  their  language  of  love  is  much  less  de- 
monstrative, and  noisy 

"In  breeding  they  are  precocious,  the  females  being  capable  of  breed- 
at  seven  months,  and  the  males  often  still  earlier.  As  the  females  carry 
their  young  only  five  months,  it  is  possible  for  them  to  have 
young  within  twelve  months  old.  but  I  do  not  think  it  advisable  either  sex 
should  breed  in  less  than  twelve  or  eighteen  months  old.  Generally  the 
pure-bred  animals  have  but  one  at  a  birth  (while  grade  and  full-blood 
females  will  have  from  one  to  five),  and  with  reasonable  care  will  always 
raise  as  may  kids  as  there  are  mothers  in  the  flock,  and  often  more.  If 
the  weather  is  pleasant,  and  the  kids  at  their  birtli  can  once  get  dry, 
and  stand  up.  and  suck,  they  require  but  little  attention  afterwards. 

"The  mothers  may  sometimes  lose  or  leave  them  in  large  pastures,  es- 
pecially if  they  have  more  than  one.  when  they  are  very  young.  Like  deer, 
they  incline  to  leave  their  young,  and  return  to.  and  suckle  them  at  inter- 
vals, during  the  first  few  days  after  birth.  A  protracted  cold  rain  is  of- 
ten fatal  to  a  kid  at  the  time  of  its  birth;  it  is  therefore  desirable  to  house 
the  females  at  night,  during  the  period  of  parturition.  The  males  should 
be  bred  to  the  females,  so  that  the  kids  will  come  in  pleasant  weather, 
and  as  simultaneously  as  possible;  for  which,  and  other  reasons,  it  is  pre- 
ferable to  keep  the  adult  males,  and  wethers,  separate  from  the  breeding 
fiock.  The  bucks  are  said  to  be  valuable  m  protecting  the  flocks  from^the 
attacks  of  dogs;  and  under  my  observation  the  goats  are  most  commonly 
the  attacking  party,  having  seen  them  frequently  charge,  and  drive  away 
a  loafing  dog.  They  do  not,  by  flight,  invite  the  pursuit  of  dogs,  as 
sheep  do;  and  dogs  do  not  seem  to  have  the  same  disposition  to  worry, 
or  to  eat  them,  which  they  manifest  towards  sheep. 

"Though  goats  will  often  bite,  hook  and  butt  each  other,  yet  they  are 
not  cross  with  other  stock,  and  the  males  do  not  fight,  and  injure  each 
other,  as  the  male  sheep  often  do. 

"As  evidence  of  their  superior  hardiness  to  sheep,  a  female,  which 
was  suckling  a  kid  in  July  last,  got  her  leg  broken;  it  was  amputated, 
bandaged,  got  well  and  she  has  run  with  the  flock  and  raised  her  kid  on 
three  legs."    (  See  Hayes,  page  02-63.  ) 

Col.  Scott  was  always  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  prac- 
tical, and  conscientious,  breeders  of  his  day,  and  for  that  reason 
I  have  copied  his  experience  with  ihe  Angora  Goat.  It  is  very 
interesting  to  note  some  of  the  points  that  this  eminent  breeder 


66  A  Nczv  Industry. 

mentions  with  reference  to  the  "/rco  coats  of  hair"  that  these 
animals  produced,  which  I  intend  to  refer  to  in  my  chapter  on 
breeding. 

Since  the  death  of  Col.  Scott,  very  little  attention  has  beer 
given  to  the  industry  in  Kentucky ;  and,  although  the  State 
affords  very  great  advantages  for  it,  the  number  of  Angora 
goats  owned  there,  at  the  present  lime,  is  estimated  to  be  only 
about  two  hundred  head. 

VIRGINIA,*  with  her  vast  mountain  ranges,  offers  pecu- 
liar advantages  for  goat  raising,  and  it  is  surprising  that  the 
industry  has  not  been  established  upon  a  large  scale  before  this. 
The  "Eutichides"  importation  was  sent  to  this  State,  in  18T1  ; 
but  were  sold  out  in  small  lots,  and  were  all  removed  in  a  year 
or  two.  Dr.  Hayes  makes  mention  of  an  attempt  u])on  the 
part  of  Gen.  Herman  Haupt. 

"To  form  a  large  company  for  the  purpose  of  raising  the  Angora 
goat,  but  failed,  on  account  of  his  inability  to  obtain  the  necessary  num- 
ber of  animals."    (  See  page  67,  Hayes.  ) 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  \'iiginia  can  support  an  enor- 
mous number  of  goats,  upon  mountain  lands  that  are  value- 
less for  other  kinds  of  live  stock,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  some 
one  will  take  up  Gen.  Haupt's  scheme,  in  the  near  future,  and 
carry  it  out.  In  a  communication  to  Dr.  Hayes,  Mr.  F.  S. 
Fulmer,  of  Spring  Mills,  Appomattox  County,  Virginia,  who 
was  interested  in  raising  the  Angora  goat  in  1875,  savs  : 

"My  goats  have  always  been  healthy.  The  only  trouble  I  have  is 
that  they  require  a  first-class  fence  which  is  exp>.nsive  and  when  their 
pasture  is  once  fenced  in,  I  cannot  afiford  to  shift  them  to  other  pastures 
as  often  as  would  be  desirable  for  they  should  have  a  free  run  in  order  to 
do  well.  I  believe  that  the  Angora  goat  husbandry  is  bound  to  suc- 
ceed in  the  newer  States  like  Texas;  but  in  the  older  States  the  cost  of  fenc- 
ing is  an  objection."    (  See  Hayes,  page  100  ) 

In  a  letter  Ihave  received  from  Dr.  M.  Barrett,  of  Maidens. 
Va.,  dated  28th  of  August,  1899,  this  gentleman  says: 


*Col.   B.   Davenport,  of  Harpers  Ferry,  took  the  first  Angora  goats 
into  Virginia,  which  he  purchased  from  Dr.  Davis  in  1852. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   6y 

"I  have  been  raising  three-fourth  grade  Angora  goats  for  the  past 
twenty  years.  I  find  them  very  strong,  hearty  and  healthy,  have  nev- 
er lost  one  from  disease.  They  are,  I  think,  the  best  fresh  meat  we  can 
raise.  They  are  but  little  trouble,  and  no  expense,  as  they  do  not  re- 
quire feeding  if  let  loose  on  the  farm.  They  are  very  prolific  sometimes 
kidding  twice  a  year.  I  have  never  made  use  of  their  hair  except  for  pad- 
ding, as  it  is  a  little  coarse.  They  grow  large,  and  usually,  get  their  growth 
by  the  third  year.  There  is  no  market  for  them  in  this  section,  once  in 
a  V  hile,  however,  I  sell  a  few  at  $2.00  per  head.  I  keep  them  for  table 
meat  as  I  think  it  the  best  fresh  meat  we  can  raise,  and  will  soon  take  the 
place  of  sheep  as  we  have  no  pasture  lands. 

"The  goat  lives  on  briars,  brush,  weeds,  pine  and  cedar,  rarely  ever 
gra/iing.  If  once  we  can  introduce  them  in  market  they  will  become  very 
profitable  as  they  can  be  raised  very  profitably  here  at  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents   per  head. 

"My  kids  at  six  months  dress  35  to  10  lbs.,  giving  a  nice  lot  of  tallow, 
which  is  superior  to  mutton  tallow,  as  it  keeps  even  in  warmest  weather. 
Tht:  skins  are  very  pretty  and  useful,  as  they  make  lovely  mats,  rugs  or 
robes.  I  value  my  goats  more  than  sheep.  I  have  several  goats  now 
that  are  seventeen  years  old,  still  fat  and  hearty."* 

Virginia  is  said  to  have  only  three  hundred  head  of  goats 
at  this  time. 

Mr.  Diehl  makes  the  following  quotations  from  some  of 
the  breeders  that  he  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting,  or  correspond- 
ing with,  upon  the  Angora  goat  industry,  in  1862.  (See  Agtl. 
Dept.  Rept.  for  1863,  p.  224.) 

MISSOURI.  Mr.  John  Walker,  of  Fayette,  a  distinguishsed  far- 
mer and  stock  raiser,  who  has  a  very  superior  flock  of  about  seventy, 
says:    "We  raised  most  of  them  in  this  State,  and  so  far  they  have  done 


*From  the  description  Dr.  Barrett  gives,  it  is  quite  evident  that  his 
goats  have  degenerated,  and  that  very  little  of  the  Angora  blood  remains 
in  them.  The  hair  of  the  Angora  is  always  soft,  and  silky,  even  on  the 
three-quarter  grades;  and  the  kids  very  seldom  weigh  as  much  as  Dr. 
Barrett  says  his  will  dress.  Another  evidence  is,  the  Angora  will  never 
have  kids  more  than  once  a  year.  I  would  infer  that  the  Doctor  has  a 
speceies  of  the  "Maltese"  goat,  which  a  great  many  people  confound  with 
the  "Angora  "  His  experience  in  handling  the  goat,  however,  is  an  assur- 
ance that  the  Angora  will  thrive  in  Virginia,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  be 
able  to  assure  him  that  there  is  no  longer  any  prejudice  for  goat  mutton 
in  our  Western  markets — like  Chicago,  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis  and 
Omaha — and  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  the  Eastern  markets  will  soon  fall 
into  line. 


68  A  Nczi'  Industry. 

remarkably  well.  They  stood  the  cold  weather  of  this  winter  better  than 
other  stock  we  have.  They  are  very  hardy  and  increase  rapidly.  The 
dots  take  care  of  their  young.  The  cost  of  keeping  these  goats  is  less 
than  any  other  animal.  They  graze  upon  coarse  herbs  that  are  not  eaten 
by  any  other  stock,  such  as  iron-weed,  dock,  mullen,  briars,  buds  and 
broken  sprouts.  My  buck  sheared  nine  pounds  and  three  quarters,  and 
my  pure-bred  ewe  five  pounds."* 

But,  pursuing  my  inquiries  further,  I  learned  through  j\Ir. 
Wm.  J.  Seever,  Secretary  of  the  "Missouri  Historical  Society," 
St.  Louis,  that  a  very  considerable  interest  is  being  manifested, 
by  quite  a  number,  and  that  the  .A.ngora  is  now  owned,  in  a 
small  way,  by  upwards  of  twenty  farmers,  throughout  the  State, 
and  he  believes  the  Ozark  mountains,  where  the  timl^er  and 
brush  abounds  very  abundantly,  will  afford  exceptionally  fine 
advantages  for  the  propagation  of  the  animal. 

It  is  estimated  that  Missouri  has  about  1500  head  of  An- 
goras now. 

TENNESSEE.  Col.  R.  Williamson  of  Gallitin,  agent  of  the  "Sum- 
ner Cashmere  Company,"  says  by  letter  that,  "so  great  has  been  his  suc- 
cess in  breeding  and  selling  these  goats,  and  their  crosses,  that  durmg 
1868,  we  disposed  of  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars  worth,  and  with  an 
increased  success,  until  the  war  commenced. 

Brig.  Genl.  E.  A.  Paine,  commanding  the  U.  S.  forces  at  Gallitin. 
Tennessee,  also  writes:  "1  have  been  stationed  at  this  post  for  nea-ly 
eighteen  months,  and  have  been  deeply  interested  in  making  myself  per- 
fectly acquainted  with  the  habits,  increase  and  value  of  these  animals. 
and  am  thoroughly  satisfied  that  the  'Cashmere'  wool  is  to  be  one  of  the 
greatest  staples  of  the  country.  It  is  to  be  to  the  common  wool  what 
silk  is  to  cotton."     (See  Diehl.  Agti.  Report  18G3,  p.  226.) 


*In  response  to  a  letter  addressed  to  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
asking  about  the  condition  of  the  Angora  goat  industry  in  Missouri  at 
the  presnt  time,    Mr.   J.    R.    Rippey,   the   Secretary,   says: 

"I  do  not  know  of  a  herd  of  Angora  goats  in  Missouri.  Col.  John 
Walker,  of  Fayette,  Howard  County,  some  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago, 
had  three  or  four  hundred.  At  that  time  the  wool  buyers  in  this  State 
knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  value  of  the  fleece  and  ofYered  practically 
nothing  for  it.  Then  again  the  owners  of  the  goats  knew  nothing  of  the 
necessary  care  of  the  fleece  when  it  should  be  clipped,  or  as  to  the  care 
of  the  goats  for  producing  the  best  fleece.  If  there  is  a  herd  in  this  State 
I  do  not  know  it." 


S[>rcad  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  ui  the  States  and  Territories.   6q 

NEW  YORK.*  Charles  S.  Brown  of  New  York,  writing  of  his  ffock 
of  Angora  and  Cashmere  goats,  says:  "All  these  goats  can  be  propa- 
gated with  great  profit.  They  are  easily  kept,  requiring  only  the  coarsest 
food,  and  will  thrive  better  upon  low  bushes,  than  green  pasture.  I 
have  found  them  robust  and  healthy  and  have  never  known  any  sickness 
among  them."     Diehl.  Agtl.   Report  1863,  p.  22<). 

MARYLAND.  The  Hon.  Geo.  A.  Porter,  of  Baltimore,  writing  of 
his  flock  of  Angora  goats,  says:  "I  herewith  send  you  two  numbers  of 
the  'American  Farmer'  April,  I860,  and  July,  1861,  which  will  give  you 
some  interesting  particulars  respecting  these  goats,  also  some  idea  of  their 
value.  I  think  you  will  be  convinced  that  the  half-breeds,  will  prove 
quite  valuable.  I  have  lived  many  years  at  Constantinople,  occupynig  the 
post  of  United  States  Consul,  and  procured  and  shipped  for  Dr.  Davis 
the  first  goats  that  were  ever  brought  to  this  country.  You  will  see  that 
Dr.  Davis  and  Mr.  Peters,  have  made  a  profitable  business  crossing  back 
to  the  full  Angora."    (  bee  Diehl.  Agt.  Report  1863,  p.  'I'lQ .  ) 

OHIO,  f  S.  S.  Williams,  Granville,  Ohio,  writes:  "I  have  about 
one  hundred  head  of  goats.  In  regard  to  th-e  breed  of  my  goats,  whether 
Angora  or  Cashmere,  mine  belong  to  that  breed  first  introduced  by  Dr. 
J.  B.  Davis  as  'Cashmeres'  and  which  have  generally  gone  by  that  name 
to  this  day.  But,  if  the  Cashmere  goat  is  the  animal  bearing  a  coat  of 
coarse  hair,  with  an  undergrowth  of  only  a  few  ounces  of  fine  fleece, 
then  mine  are  not  'Cashmeres'  though  known  as  'Cashmere'  in  this  coun- 
try, and  from  the  description  of  Rees,  and  others,  mine  are  the  Angora 
for  they  describe  my  goats  as  correctly  as  I  can  myself.  I  lest  satisfied 
that  our  goat,  whatever  it  should  be  called  is  valuable,  and  I  care  little 
for  the  name.  I  send  you  a  sample  of  the  wool  of  my  buck  'Sampson' 
which  clips  over  six  pounds.  Of  course  I  think  he  is  more  valuable  than 
an  animal  yielding  only  three  ounces  of  but  little  finer  quality."  (  See  Diehl 
in  Agt.  Report  1863,  p.  2-6 . ) 

PENNSYLVANIA.]:  Genl.  J.  S.  Goe,  Brownsville,  has  a  fine 
flock  of  twenty  in  a  good  condition,  beautiful  and  thriving.  He  says 
"they  have  stood  the  severe  winter  well,  and  are  promising;  and  I  am  en- 
couraged with  the  experiment  and  prospect."  Also  Dr.  F.  F.  Robinson 
of  Freedom,  Pa.,  says:  I  have  been  quite  successful  in  breeding  from 
the  common  goat  to  my  Cashmere  buck;  find  them  to  be  hardy  and  pro- 
lific."     (See  Diehl  Agt.  Report  1863,  p.  -l-Ki.) 

*The  Angora  was  introduced  into  New  York  in  1852  by  Dr.  D.  C. 
Ambler,  of  Watervillo,  Oneida  County,  who  purchased  a  pair  of  young 
pure-breeds  from  Dr.  Davis,  of  South  Carolina,  for  $2,000.00. 

\  As  near  as  I  can  learn,  there  are  but  a  very  few  goats  in  Ohio  now. 

1^  Milbr  &  Sibley.  Franklin,  Pa.,  were  more  recent  breeders  in  Penn- 


/o  A  Nciv  Industry. 

MASSACHUSETTS.*  Winthrop  W.  Chenery.  "Highland  Farm," 
Belmont,  Massachusetts,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  importers,  and  stock 
raisers  of  the  country  has  made  several  successful  importations,  and  has  a 
very  choice  flock  of  some  twenty  pure  imported  Angoras  upon  his  cele- 
brated stock  farm,  near  Boston,  in  a  good  and  prosperous  condition, 
where  they  wintered  admirably,  standing  the  rigors  of  the  past  severe  win- 
ter and  are  doing  well.  Mr.  Chenery  feels  much  encouraged  with  his 
success  in  importing,  and  is  quite  confident  of  ultimate  profit  and  value. 
He  writes  as  follows: 

"The  goats  will  prove  profitable  in  this  country  and  I  would  say  that, 
with  proper  attention  they  may  be  bred,  and  raised  as  safely,  and  surely,  as 
ordinary  sheep.  One  gentleman  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  to  whom  I  sold 
a  small  flock  writes  me  that  his  goats  are  about  a  third  heavier  than  they 
were  and  that  he  has  no  more  fear  of  raising  them  ihan  pigs,"  (See 
Diehl  in  Agtl.  Report  18G3,  p.  227 .  ) 

It  is  estimated  that  Massachusetts  has  about  1000  head  of 
goats  at  he  present  time. 

The  foregoing  quotations  and  references,  from  the  paper 
of  the  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl,  who  himself,  afterwards,  in  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Charles  S.  Brown,  of  New  York,  made  quite 


sylvania,  and  sold  quite  a  number  of  goats  to  breeders  in  the  West. 
In  a  letter  to  me,  of  recent  date,  they  say  they  have  disposed  of  all  of 
their  goats,  and  do  not  know  how  many  are  in  the  State.  I  presume 
there  are  very  few. 

*Within  the  past  year,  more  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  brushy  land 
than  for  laising  mohair,  there  have  been  about  five  hundred  head  of  goats 
shipped  into  Massachusetts,  and  a  very  considerable  interest  is  being 
manifested  by  the  owners  of  lands  in  this  class  of  stock.  The  following 
newspaper  extract  bearing  on  this  question  will  be  of  some  interest: 

"It  looks  as  if  the  Angora  goat  might  be  the  means  of  the  reclamation 
of  a  lot  of  the  abandoned  farms  of  New  England,"  said  a  woolen  man  from 
that  section  yesterday.  "Two  carloads  of  these  animals  have  arrived  at  one 
of  these  farms  in  the  interior  of  Massachusetts  within  the  week,  coming 
from  Texas,  I  believe.  The  animals  thrive  on  the  rough  pastures  of  hilly 
lands  and  if  the  climate  proves  suitable,  there  is  a  fortune  in  the  wool 
and  skins  compared  with  the  returns  from  other  animals  and  products 
of  even  the  better  grades  of  New  England  farms.  At  all  events,  some 
friends  of  mine  have  bought  a  couple  of  these  farms  and  are  going  to 
stock  them  with  the  goats  and  see  if  the  scheme  is  not  a  practicable  one. 
You  know  we  will  have  to  do  something  to  counterbalance  the  stealing  of 
our  cotton  industry  from  us  by  the  people  of  the  South." 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories,    ji 

a  large  importation  of  goats  from  Turkey,  is  quite  sufficient  to 
prove  that  the  Angora  goat  will  thrive  well  in  any  portion  of 
the  United  States,  and  yet  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  each 
and  every  one  of  the  States  referred  to  by  him,  there  are  at 
the  present  time  very  few  goats.  There  is,  perhaps,  but  very 
little  doubt  that  most  of  the  so-called  "breeders''  he  speaks  of 
were  gentlemen  amateurs,  who  had  been  attracted  to  the  an- 
imal more  by  its  novelty,  and  beauty,  than  by  any  profit  they 
expected  to  realize  from  handling  it. 

Or  it  may  be  as  Mr.  Fulmer,  of  Virginia,  expressed  it : 

"I  believe  that  the  Angora  goat  husbandry  is  bound  to  succeed  in 
the  newer  States,  like  Texas;  but,  in  the  old  States,  the  cost  of  fencing  is 
an    objection." 

At  all  events,  there  was  no  very  decided  interest  taken 
in  the  animal  by  stock  raisers  until  after  the  close  of  the  war 
in  1865-66,  when  the  Western  States,  and  Territories,  seeing  the 
opportunity  for  the  establishment  of  a  very  profitable  industry. 
began  to  purchase  some  Angoras,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that 
many  of  the  goats  that  were  formerly  held  in  the  old  States 
were  transferred  to  the  new,  as  has  been  the  case  largely  with 
sheep. 

TEXAS  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  leading  in  the  move- 
ment of  starting  this  new  industry,  through  her  very'  worthy 
citizen,  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  of  Hayes  County,  a  kinsman  of 
Gen.  Herman  Haupt,  of  Virginia,  referred  to  by  Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes. 

Col.  W.  W.  Haupt  was  born  in  Green  County,  Alabama, 
in  the  forks  of  the  Bigbee  and  Warrior  rivers,  on  the  10th  of 
February,  1828,  of  German-Enghsh  extraction.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  migrated  to  Ala- 
bama when  he  was  quite  a  young  man.  In  1833  he  bought 
largely  of  lands  on  the  Bigbee  river  from  the  Choctaw  Indians, 
upon  which  he  settled,  and  died  very  soon  after.  His  mother 
was  a  woman  of  remarkable  energy,  and  practical  sense,  as 
has  been  clearly  demonstrated  by  the  manner  in  which  she 
reared  her  son,  who  was  only  five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death.     He  received  his     scholastic     education  at 


jj  A  Nczv  Industry. 

Demopolis,  Alabama,  and  was  two  years  at  the  Centenary  col- 
jege  in  Mississippi,  and  two  years  at  the  Washington  college, 
in  Mrginia,  during  which  he  drilled  the  Cincinnati  company 
of  College  Cadets,  on  the  \'irginia  Alilitary  Institute  grounds. 
In  18-1:8  he  returned  home,  married,  and  moved  to  Texas,  where 
he  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  bend  of  the  Colorado  river,  just 
below  Bastrop.  His  wiie  was  a  Miss  Colguin,  who  soon  died. 
He  then  married  her  cousin,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Rugely, 
of  Matagorda  County,  Texas,  and  in  December,  1857,  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  upon  which  he  is  now  living,  near  Kyle,  in 
Hayes  County,  where  he  ran  the  first  steam  cotton  gin  that 
was  used  in  Western  Texas,  constructed  with  a  steam  whistle 
and  a  pipe  from  the  boiler  to  the  pick-room,  to  extinguish  fire, 
and  discharged  the  exhaust  pipe  into  the  chimney  as  a  spark- 
arrester — all  of  which  was  his  own  construction.  His  father 
was  of  an  inventive  turn  of  mind,  and  had  the  honor  of  digginp 
the  first  artesian  well  ever  sunk  in  the  United  States. 

Gen.  Herman  Haupt,  the  noted  civil  engineer,  who  still 
lives,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  was  a  cousin,  and  it  would 
seem  that  a  very  decided  inventive  strain  courses  through  the 
Haupt  family. 

Col.  Haupt  was  never  fond  of  a  city  life,  and  boasts  of  the 
fact  that  he  "never  lived  a  day  in  town  in  his  life."  His  prefer- 
ence was  for  a  farm  life,  where  he  could  surround  himself  with 
all  the  comforts  of  a  home,  and  indulge  his  fancy  for  various 
kinds  of  live  stock,  of  which  he  was  especially  fond.  He  in- 
troduced the  first  Essex  hogs,  and  iJrahma  cattle,  into  Western 
Texas,  and  has  invented  many  appliances  for  economy  in  farm 
work.  He  has  always  been  a  regular  subscriber  to  agricultural 
papers,  and  has  contributed  many  valuable  articles  upon  various 
subjects  relating  to  Hve  stock  and  farming. 

In  1858,  he  thought  he  would  like  to  try  goats,  and  com- 
menced raising  some  of  the  common  stock ;  but,  concluded  it 
was  economy  to  raise  the  best,  so  ne  made  arrangements  with 
Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta.  Georgia,  to  let  him  have  a  small 
lot  of  eight  head,  for  which  he  pail  him  $10U  each.  Tins  wa: 
the   commencement   of  the   flock   of  "Haupt"   goats   whicli.   in 


Col.  W.   W,   Haupt. 


Sprcod  of  Angora  Goaf  Indiisfry  in  the  States  and  Territories.    75 

later  years,  became  so  popular  with  other  breeders.  He  was 
ahvays  exceeding-ly  careful  in  breeding-,  and  kept  a  close  record 
of  the  grade  of  every  gor :  on  his  farm ;  and,  it  can  be  said  of 
him,  that  he  never  deceivjd  a  purchaser  in  the  character  of  the 
goat  he  sold.  Knowing  his  own  marks  of  breeding,  he  could 
easily  distinguish  one  from  another,  and  it  was  his  invariable 
custom  to  price  his  animals  at  $30,  if  he  selected  them,  or  $25 
if  the  purchaser  made  the  selection. 

In  1895  he  concluded  to  turn  his  attention  to  horticultural 
farming,  and  was  forced  to  dispense  with  his  goats,  for  which 
he  had  formed  a  very  strong  attachment.  He,  at  first,  thought 
of  retaining  an  interest  in  them,  but  finally  decided  to  sell  them 
out  and  out.  and  Mr.  W.  G.  Hughes,  of  Hastings,  Kendall 
County,  became  the  fortunate  owner,  and  is  still  continuing  to 
breed  them. 

True  to  his  nature,  Col.  Haupt  established  his  garden  upon 
the  most  approved  plan,  and  now  has  under  the  most  skillful 
cultivation  thirty  acres,  which  is  said  to  be  the  most  magnificent 
sight,  in  the  shape  of  a  garden,  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  the 
Stat 2  of  Texas.  He  has  several  thousand  fruit  trees,  consisting 
mostly  of  plums,  which  have  provel  to  be  most  profitable,  and 
a  large  amount  in  grapes,  which  are  likewise  very  productive. 
But  the  main  product  is  the  dewberry  and  blackberry,  of  which 
he  has  fifteen  acres,  which  supports  a  small  army  of  women 
and  children  during  the  "berry  time." 

Depending  upon  the  elements  for  water,  in  West  Texas, 
has  always  resulted  in  failure,  and  Col.  Haupt  has  provided 
against  all  contingencies  in  this  respect,  by  the  means  of  a  pow- 
erful windmill,  and  a  tank,  covering  one  acre  of  ground,  in  the 
center  of  his  garden,  from  which  he  can  irrigate  his  land  at 
will.  He  is  now  contemplating  the  purchase  of  a  gasoline  en- 
gine, to  be  used  in  the  event  of  necessity,  which,  however, 
occurs  only  for  a  short  time,  in  the  hot  months  of  July  anc 
August. 

His  magnificent  estate  consists  of  3000  acres  of  beautiful 
land,  2500  of  which  is  a  pasture,  on  which  three  hundred 
improved  cattle  are  run,  and  the  remainder,  between  400  and 
500  acres,  in  farm  and  sfarden. 


■j6  A  Nctv  Industry. 

Col.  Haupt  has  a  peculiarity  of  always  imagining  he  is 
"hard  up,"  and,  with  a  man  of  his  activity,  it  is  not  likely  he 
would  keep  nnich  loose  cash  around  his  house,  yet  he  is  recog 
nized  by  all  who  know  him  as  being  as  nicely  situated  in  the 
comforts  that  this  world  can  supply  as  any  one  could  wish  to 
be,  and  his  ranch  is  the  envy  of  all  who  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  visiting  it.  He  enjoys  the  good  will  of  his  neighbors,  and 
is  always  glad  to  entertain  his  friends.  He  visits  town  about 
once  a  month,  but  rarely  takes  a  seat,  and  is  back  at  his  ranch 
in  a  very  few  hours. 

At  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-two,  he  is  as  active  in  mind 
and  body,  as  a  man  of  forty,  and  bids  fair  to  live  a  considerable 
time,  w^hich  is,  doubtless,  explained  by  the  even  tenor  of  his 
life. 

In  a  recent  letter,  with  reference  to  others  who  took  an 
early  interest  in  the  Angora  goat,  Col.  Haupt  writes : 

"In  regard  to  the  Angora  industry  in  Texas  from  its  inception,  I 
was  at  one  time  perfectly  familiar  with  the  names  of  all  of  the  early  breed- 
ers, but  my  memory  is  treacherous  and  I  find  difficulty  in  recalling  names 
of  most  familiar  faces.  If  Col.  Parish  is  alive  be  can  supply  you  with  this 
information,  arid  a  nicer  gentleman  never  lived.  The  Arnold  Bros,  in 
the  Frio  Canon,  were  among  the  beginners,  as  was  also  Judge  J.  P.  De- 
vine  of  San  Antonio.  Mr.  J.  V.  Abrams  was  another  breeder  in  the  Frio 
Canon,  but  he  sold  out  and  moved  back  to  the  north.  His 
brother,  M.  C.  Abrams,  now  lives  in  Manor,  Travis  Coun- 
ty. Mr.  R.  R.  Claridge,  formerly  of  the  'Stockman  &  Farmer'  did  much 
with  his  pen,  and  paper,  to  encourage  the  industry  and  I  regret  very  much 
I  cannot  give  you  the  names  of  many  more  who  should  be  referred  to  in 
this  connection." 

The  Rev.  D.  S.  Babb  was  one  of  the  early  breeders,  having 
started  his  tiock  in  the  seventies  from  Col.  Peters'  stock  of 
goats.  Mr.  Babb  is  still  engaged  in  the  business,  and  has  a 
fine  flock  near  Sonora,  Sutton  County. 

Mr.  R.  H.  Lowry,  of  Camp  San  Saba,  was  another  of  the 
early  breeders,  who  started  with  some  of  the  "Haupt"  stock, 
and  later  some  from  Messrs.  Peters  and  Landrum. 

The  success  which. attended  the  introduction  of  the  Angora 
goat  into  Texas  was  quite  remarkable  in  the  increased  weight 
of  fleece  over  the  goats  that  had  been  raised  in  Georgia. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in.  the  States  and  Territories.   77 

Referring  to  this  subject,  Judge  J.  P.  Devine,  of  San 
Antonio,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes,  says : 

"Col.  Peters  expressed  much  surprise  when  I  told  him  of  the  heavy 
clips  sheared  from  the  same  class  of  goats  that  in  Georgia  sheared  much 
less.  As  the  goats  have  an  inexhaustible  quantity  of  rich  evergreen  food, 
all  during  the  winter,  they  are  in  better  condition  than  at  same  season 
elsewhere,  and  consequently  the  clip  is  heavier;  and  the  dry  atmosphere 
gives  the  same  gloss,  or  lustre  to  the  hair  that  it  has  in  Asia;  and  some 
think,  our  production  is  the  glossiest.  The  heaviest  fleece  I  have  ever 
taken  from  a  pure  nanny,  was  three  and  one-half  pounds,  also  from  Col. 
Peters'  stock,  whose  pure-bloods,  I  think,  cannot  be  rivalled  for  gloss, 
a  id  length  of  staple,  by  any  pure  bloods  I  have  ever  seen,  and  they  com- 
pare very  favorably  with  other  pure-bloods  in  the  weight  of  their  clips. 

"The  heaviest  fleece  I  have  ever  seen  clipped  from  a  grade  goat  was 
from  one  of  my  original  breeding  billies,  which  sheared  six  and  a  half  or 
seven  and  a  half  pounds,  I  forget  which,  at  three  years  of  age  in  1877;  and  I 
have  sheared  four  and  five  pounds  from  several  other  grades.*  So 
you  will  see  that  a  high  grade  will  shear  fully  as  much,  and  even  more, 
hair  than  the  best  specimens  of  pure  blood,  and  have  all  the  dis- 
tinguishing marks  of  a  pure  blood;  and  without  you  take  a 
strong  glass,  you  cannot  distinguish  any  difYerence  in  the  fibre;  and,  con- 
sequently the  great  difficulty  of  discovering  a  fraudulent  'pure-blood' 
except  you  put  him  to  nannies,  and  then  blood  zvill  tell.  ( See  Hayes,  page 
112.  ) 

Judge  Devine  took  a  great  deal  of  pride  in  his  goats  up 
to  the  day  of  his  death,  which  occurred  shortly  after  that  of 
Col.  Richard  Peters,  between  whom  there  seems  to  have  grown 
up  quite  an  attachment.  I  have  been  informed  that  it  was 
always  the  wish  of  Col.  Peters  that  Judge  Devine  should  con- 
trol his  flock  of  goats  after  his  death ;  but,  it  was  ordered  other- 
wise, and  these  two  leading  lights  in  the  Angora  goat  industry 
of  this  country  passed  away  very  close  together,  and  their  re- 


*It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  letter  was  written  about  twenty 
years  ago  and  it  is  proper  to  state  that  the  shearing  capacity  of  Angoras 
has  increased  considerably  over  what  Judge  Devine  then  referred  to. 
Attention  is  called  to  the  "Notes  of  Practical  Breeding"  upon  this  sub- 
ject. 

Plate  XVII  represents  two  full-blood  does,  raised  by  Judge  Devine, 
which  sheared  four  and  a  half  pounds  in  1896. 


/8  A  AVtc  Industry. 

spective  flocks  have  gone  into  other  hands,  to  be  improved  on 
it  is  hoped.* 

Great  credit  is  due  to  Col.  W.  D.  Parish,  of  Segiiin,  Texas, 
who  is  mentioned  by  Col.  Haupt  as  being  one  of  the  early 
breeders.  This  gentleman  secured  two  very  fine  goats  from  a 
sea  captain,  who  had  brought  them  direct  from  Constantinople 
to  Galveston  in  1875,  but  he  had  been  interested  in  the  industry 
several  years  before  this.  The  impression  prevails  in  the  minds 
of  many  breeders  that  Mr.  Parish  made  a  direct  importatioi 
himself;  but  this  appears  to  be  a  mistake. 

Mr.  Jno.  S.  Harris  writes  me  that  when  he  was  in  Con- 
stantinople, in  18T(),  he  investigated  all  the  shipments  of  goats 
that  had  been  made  to  this  countr  '  up  to  that  time  and  there 
v.-ere  none  mentioned  as  having  been  exported  to  Mr.  Parish 
in  person. 

Mr.  Jno.  S.  Brown,  of  Sonora,  Sutton  County,  Texas,  a 
personal  friend  of  Mr.  Parish,  says  he  remembers  distinctly 
that  in  1867  or  1868  he  (Mr.  Parish)  stopped  with  him  after 
having  gone  somewhere  for  the  goats  that  he  first  started  his 
flock  with.  There  were  two  or  three  wagon  loads  of  them, 
and  they  were  at  his  ranch  two  or  three  days  resting.  Mr. 
Parish  was  then  going  to  his  ranch  in  Kendall  Countv. 

Air.  Geo.  W.  Baylor,  of  Montell,  Uvalde  County,  writes 
mc  that 

"In  his  opinion  Mr.  Parish  did  as  much  towards  starting  the  Angora 
goat  industry  in  Texas  as  any  one.  After  he  sold  his  ranch  in  Kendall 
County,  he  moved  to  Old  Mexico  and  engaged  in  mining." 

There  is  very  little  doubt  but  the  goats  that  Mr.  Parish 
brought  into  Texas  in  1867-()8,  refeired  to  bv  Air.  Brown,  had 
been  purchased  by  him  from  oiie  of  the  importations  that 
had  been  made  about  that  time  by  Air.  W.  W.  Chenery,  of 
Boston.  It  matters  very  little,  however,  where  they  came  from 
They  were  exceptionally  fine  goats,  and  the  "Parish"  stock 
of  Angoras  figures  extensively  as  a  pure-blooded  strain  in  many 
of  our  flocks  today,  the  owners  of  >vhich  are  very  proud  of. 

*The  flock  of  Col.  Richard  Peters  was  sold  to  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley 
of  Platteville,  Iowa,  and  the  "Devine"  goats  were  parcelled  out  to  several 
breeders,  Mr.  Gunzer  buying  quite  a  number,  and  Air.  J.  W.  Garrett  of 

Mountain  Home,  I  understand,  purchased  £ome  also. 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.    79 

The  industry  in  Texas  made  but  very  little  progress  until 
within  the  past  tew  years,  when  tl^e  demand  for  Angoras  to 
be  shipped  into  the  Northern  States,  more  especially  Iowa 
and  Kansas,  commenced ;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  it  is  now  upon 
a  very  firm  foundation,  and  will  continue  to  grow  rapidly  from 
this  time  forward. 

There  is  a  vast  stretch  of  territory  in  the  western  border 
of  the  State  that  is  unfitted  for  any  other  class  of  stock,  which 
will  sooner  or  later  l^e  occupied  by  g^?-t  breeders. 

It  is  estimated  there  are  at  least  100,000  head  of  Angoras 
now  m  Texas,  ranging  from  one-half  bloods  up  to  full-bloods, 
besides  a  number  of  pure  flocks  started  from  the  "Peters," 
"Haupt,"  "Parish,"  "Devine,"  and  "Harris"  (&  Baylor)  goats. 

CALIFORNIA  was  second  to  begin  raising  mohair,  and 
too  much  credit  cannot  be  paid  to  Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum  for 
the  enterprise,  and  perseverance,  that  he  displayed  in  carrying 
the  first  Angora  goats  into  that  State.  He  had  thought  of  the 
matter  some  time,  and,  in  I860,  decided  to  make  the  experi- 
ment, and  arranged  witli  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  to  let  him  have  a  couple  of  young  bucks  from  his 
breeding  of  the  "Davis"  goats.  He  had  expected  to 
return  to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
but  the  rate  of  passage  having  been  advanced  enormously  ($(iOU 
for  himself  and  the  same  for  live  stock,  which  embraced  his 
little  goats),  he  was  forced  to  al^andon  the  ocean  route  and  go 
overland,  a  distance  of  over  3000  miles  that  he  had  to  travel 
by  wagon,  at  the  slow  average  of  21  miles  per  day.  He 
reached  California  in  the  year  1861,  with  his  tw^o  goats,  and 
"began  improving  some  common  short-haired  goats  at  once. 
The  climate  proved  to  be  admirably  adapted  to  them,  and  from 
that  day  to  the  present  he  has  been  closely  identified  with  the 
industry  His  name  has  been  so  long  associated  with  that  of 
the  Angora  goat  they  have  almost  become  synonymous. 

Mr.  Landrum  is  a  native  of  Georgia,  and  was  born  near  the 
line  of  the  Cherokee  Nation,  on  the  10th  of  April,  1829.  His 
father,  James  H.  Landrum,  was  born,  and  raised,  in  Rutherford 


8o  A  Nczv  hidustry. 

County,  Tennessee,  and  moved  back  to  his  native  State  when 
W.  M.  was  (|uite  a  small  boy,  and  he  was  sent  to  school  at 
Versailles.  In  18^5  the  family  returned  to  Forsyth  County, 
Georgia,  and  in  18-1:7,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  engaged  in 
the  agricultural  implement  business,  making  everything  used 
by  a  farmer  jn  those  days,  from  his  gun  to  a  crowbar — plows 
for  cotton  cultivation  being  a  specialty.  In  May,  1850,  he  and 
his  father  went  to  Californiawherethe  father  remained  until  1852 
and  then  returned  to  Georgia.  W.  M.  stayed  there,  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  hog  raising.  He  was  one  of  the  first  men  to 
sow  grain  in  the  great  San  Joaquiu  valley,  in  the  fall  of  1852. 
Dr.  Ash,  Dr.  Chambers,  Judge  Emory,  George  Islip  and  him- 
self sowed  the  first  grain  in  that  noted  valley,  and  had  to  pay 
25c  per  pound  for  seed,  and  $5.00  per  day  for  labor.  He  made 
a  number  of  improvements  in  machmery  for  plowing,  and  har- 
vesting, and  was   successful  generally. 

In  18C0  he  returned  to  Georgia  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
some  of  the  Angora  Goats  from  Col.  Peters,  which  he  carried 
all  the  way  to  California  by  the  overland  route,  as  above  stated. 

In  1863  he  went  into  Mexico  under  contract  to  build  some 
mining  machinery  and  a  grist  mill.  He  returned  to  CaUfoniia 
in  1866,  and  took  charge  of  his  goats,  which  he  had  placed  in 
his  father's  care  during  his  stay  in  jVfexico,  and  determined  upon 
making  a  second  importation,  which  he  did  in  1867.  bringing 
eight  selected  goats  fram  the  W.  W.  Chenery  importation  to 
Boston,   Mass. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Landrum  sold  a  one-half  interest 
in  his  goats  to  Butterfield  &  Son,  and  the  business  was  then 
conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Landrum,  Butterfield  & 
Son.  The  new  firm  added  two  choice  bucks  to  their  flock  from 
the  Diehl  &  Brown  importation,  one  of  which  was  the  celebrated 
hornless  "Costamboul."  The  same  year  Col.  Peters  shipped 
twenty-five  head  of  choice  pure-breeds  to  the  Pacific  coast  in 
charge  of  Mr.  E.  Holland,  seventeen  of  which  were  purchased 
by  Landrum,  Butterfield  &  Son.  In  1870  Diehl  &  Browr 
shipped  out  the  most  of  their  flock,  of  which  about  sixty  head 
survived  and  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Butterfield  &  Son 
to  be  kept  on  shares,  and  sold  on  commission. 


Wm.  M.  Landrum. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   8^ 

The  firm  was  soon  after  this  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Landrum 
secured,  by  purchase,  the  largest  number  of  the  firm's  goats, 
among  which  was  the  hornless  "Costamboul"'  buck  above  men- 
tioned. 

In  1870  Mr.  Landrum  formed  a  partnership  with  James 
M.  Rodgers,  selling  him  one-half  interest  in  his  goats  and 
sheep,  and  the  business  was  after\vards  carried  on  under  the 
name  of  Landrum  &  Rodgers. 

In  187"^  the  new  firm  made  a  large  purchase  from  the 
"Peters'"  flock,  which  gave  them  the  prominence  of  being  the 
largest  holders  of  pure-bred  Angora  goats  in  the  L^nited 
States  at  that  time. 

Mr.  Landrum  was  instrumental  in  starting  the  industry  in 
Oregon,  New  Mexico  and  Utah. 

In  Oregon  he  had  great  success,  and  decided  to  move 
his  entire  flock  to  the  State.  In  1883  he  shipped  his  pure 
bloods  to  Texas  and  established  a  ranch  in  Uvalde  County, 
where  he  now  resides,  enjoying  excellent  health  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-one  years,  in  full  possession  of  his  great 
energy,  which  has  been  one  of  his  chief  characteristics  through 
life.  He  is  a  strong  believer  in  the  industry,  and  is  actively 
engaged  in  breeding  and  distributing  his  goats,  in  which  his 
sons,  W.  E.  and  F.  O.  Landrvmi.  are  of  great  assistance. 

In  addition  to  the  goats  taken  into  California  bv  Mr. 
Landrum  and  his  business  associates,  Mr.  Brock  imported  a 
few  from  a  flock  owned  by  Mr.  Ogden  in  Ohio,  in  the  year  of 
18(U. 

In  1867,  Gray  &  Gilmore  imported  nine  head  from  the 
W.  W.  Chenery  flock,  in  Boston,  and  the  following  year  thev 
brought  in  seven  more ;  and  Flint  and  Sargent  three ;  all  of 
which  were  out  of  the  "Chenery"  flock. 

In  1871,  Shirland  &  Thomas  imported  eight  head  from  the 
"Eutichides"  flock,  and  in  1872  they  made,  a  second  importa- 
tion. 

In  187(),  Mr.  Jno.  S.  Harris,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Wm. 
Hall,  imported  twelve  head  from  Asia  Minor,  consisting  of 
two  bucks  and  ten  does,  which,  with  the  increase  of  three  kids 


S4  A  Nc-cv  Industry. 

on  the  way  to  this  country,  made  fifteen  head.  These  goats 
were  selected  by  Mr.  Harris  in  person,  and  were  considered 
to  be  very  superior  animals. 

In  181)3.  Mr.  C.  P.  Bailey  imported  from  South  Africa 
two  bucks,  one  of  which  was  considered  very  fine,  and  in  1899 
this  same  gentleman  made  a  second  importation  of  several 
nure. 

At  the  present  time  it  is  estimated  there  are  fully  40, 00(1 
iiead  of  well-improved  goats  in  California,  which,  as  a  rule,  are 
held  in  large  flocks. 

OREGON  began  raising  the  Angora  in  18()9  or  1870,  and 
the  credit  is  due  to  Mr.  Ari  Cantrell  for  having  started  the  in- 
dustry, which  has  proven  to  be  very  profitable  to  all  who  have 
engaged  in  it.  Mr.  Geo.  A.  Houck,  of  Eugene,  Oregon, 
writes  under  recent  date  that, 

"Mr.  Ari  Cantrell  brought  the  first  goats  to  the  Willamette  Valley 
sometime  in  the  latter  part  of  '09  or  'TO's.  He  bought  150  head  of  three- 
fourths  and  seven-eighths  nannies  from  Mr.  Butterfield  of  California  at 
$12.50  per  head.  He  also  bought  a  pure-bred  billy,  "Old  Boxer'  and  a 
one-year-old  nanny,  giving  for  the  two  the  price  of  $150().00  or  $1000  for 
'Old  Boxer"  and  $500.00  for  the  nanny.  Mr.  Cantrell  brought  the  common 
goats  overland,  and  had  the  fine  ones  shipped,  and  stopped  with  the  whole 
band  near  Corralles  in  Burton  County.  He  afterwards  bought  pure- 
bloods  from  Landrum  and  Rodgers,  and  from  other  parties  but  I  have 
heard  him   say  that  none  were  as   good  as  'Boxer.' 

The  climate  of  Oregon  has  proven  to  be  admirabl}-  adapted 
to  the  production  of  the  Angora,  r.nd  it  is  believed  by  many 
that  the  character  of  mohair  from  that  State  is  superior  to  any 
in  America. 

The  industry  has  grown  very  .-.teadily.  The  flocks  are  not 
large,  as  a  general  thing,  ranging  from  fifty  to  'JoO  head  (with  a 
few  large  ones),  which  are  used  chiefly  for  cleaning  up  brushy 
lands  for  farming  and  grazing  purposes. 

It  is  estimated  there  are  at  leact  80,000  head  of  highly  im- 
])roved  goats  in  the  State  at  the  present  time. 

The  industry  was  organized  at  Independence  in  189(5  under 
the  name  of  "The  Oregon  Angora  Goat  Breeding  Association," 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  ihc  States  and  Territories.   8j 

of  which  Mr.  J.  H.  Hawlev,  of  Monmouth,  is  president ;  Hon. 
Jno.  B.  Stump,  of  Monmouth,  vice-president,  and  L.  G.  Garnett, 
of  Portland,  is  secretary. 

NEVAD/\  has  in  the  vicinity  of  five  thousand  head  of  /Vn- 
goras,  many  of  the  owners  residing  in  Cahfornia. 

NEW  MEXICO  offers  very  fine  inducement  for  the 
breeding  of  goats  in  many  parts  of  the  Territory. 

Mr._ Maxwell,  of  the  "Maxwell  Land  Grant  Farm,"  took 
seventy  head  into  the  Territory  in  1872,  and  Mr.  Frank  Garst 
took  five  hundred  line  goats  from  California  in  1882,  but  has 
since  that  time  moved  his  entire  holdings  into  Texas. 

It  is  estimated  there  are  30,000  head  at  this  time  in  the 
Territory,  among  which  are  several  very  superior  flocks. 

The  "Onderdonk  Live  Stock  Company,"  of  Laniy,  are 
holders  of  about  eight  thousand  lie  ad  of  the  common  short- 
haired  Mexican  goat,  and  it  has  been  reported  that  they  have 
just  made  a  beginning,  and  intend  to  increase  the  number  to 
fifty  thousand,  which  they  expect  to  breed  for  the  hide,  prin- 
cipally. 

This  report,  however,  is  groundless,  as  may  be  learned  from 
the  following  quotation  from  a  letter  addressed  to  me  by  Mr. 
C!ias.  S.  Onderdonk,  the  general  manager  of  the  company. 

"Tt  has  been  the  general  impression  in  the  West  that  we  are  raising 
common  goats  for  their  skins  alone.  This  impression  gained  ground  from 
the  fact  that  the  President  of  our  Company  is  the  largest  tanner  of  goat 
skins  in  the  world;  is  very  prominent  in  the  East;  and  the  newspapers, 
knowing  that  he  is  connect  .-d  with  us  naturally  supposed  that  we  were 
raising  goats  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  him  with  skins.  You  can 
appreciate  the  absurdity  of  this  when  I  tell  you  that  he  has  a  capacity  for 
tanning  fifty  thousand  goat  skins  every  ten  hours.  From  this  you  can  se^ 
thai  the  whole  territory  of  New  Mexico  could  not  supply  him.  if  it  was 
all  devoted  to  goat  raising.  We  started  in  to  raise  the  common  goat, 
both  for  the  skin  and  for  the  meat;  but,  we  are  now  also  turning  our 
attention  to  the  raising  of  the  Angora,  the  skin  of  which  you  know,  is 
of  very  little  value  for  leather  purposes." 

Mr.  D.  C.  Taylor,  of  Lake  Valley,  is  a  breeder  of  the  An- 
gora, and  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  Territory  as 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  them,  and  there  is  very  little  doubt 
but  the  industry  will  extend  very  rapidly. 


86  A  Nciv  Industry. 

Mr.  J.  C.  Hightower,  of  Ruidoso,  is  another  very  success- 
ful breeder. 

It  is  estimated  that  New  Mexico  has  upwards  of  sixty 
thousand  goats  of  all  kinds,  of  which,  perhaps,  one-half,  or 
thirty  thousand,  are  graded  Angoras. 

IDAHO  has  but  few  breeders  of  Angora  goats,  but  is 
quite  prominent  in  the  industry,  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Juo.  S. 
Harris,  who  formerly  ranched  in  California,  and  who  visited 
Cashmere  and  Asia  Minor,  in  187G.  and  brought  back  twelve 
head  of  very  fine  Angoras  from  the  latter  country,  selected  this 
territory  as  combining  more  of  the  characteristics  of  Asia 
Minor  than  any  portion  of  the  Northwest,  where  he  moved 
in  1884. 

]Mr.  Harris  was  born  in  Scotland,  in  183G,  went  to 
California  in  18G2,  and  married  Miss  Josephine  Whittin, 
of  that  State,  engaging  in  cattle  raising  in  San  Benito  County. 
In  the  early  seventies,  his  attention  was  first  attracted  to  the 
Angora  goat.  Referring  to  the  subject,  in  a  recent  letter,  he 
says  : 

"It  was  in  the  early  TU's  that  I  first  got  interested  in  the  'Cashmere 
goat,'  as  it  was  called  in  those  days,  and  the  newspapers,  and  those  who 
were  engaged  in  raising  them  at  that  time,  represented  that  the  fieece 
was  manufactured  into  fine  Cashmere  shawls.  Butterfield  and  Land- 
drum  had  some  of  them  which  they  kept  on  the  mountains  at  Mr.  But- 
terfield's  place  on  the  San  Benito  river,  some  fifteen  miles  from  where  I 
was  living.  Landrum  lived  in  Watsonville,  in  the  same  county,  Monte- 
rey. I  lived  on  the  edge  of  a  farming  district  and  kept  a  small  bunch  of 
cattle.  In  the  fall,  after  the  grain  was  cut,  ]Mr.  Butterfield  used  to  bring 
his  goats  and  sheep  down  to  be  pastured  on  the  wheat-stubble,  and  I  be- 
came greatly  interested  in  the  goats,  and  traded  cattle  with  him  for  about 
seventy-five  head  of  his  grades,  which  was  my  first  introduction  to  the 
'Angora.'  I  estimate  the  cost  of  the  goats  I  received  from  Butterfield 
sixteen  dollars  each  and  am  well  satisfied  now  that  they  were  not  more  than 
half-breeds.  Mr.  Butterfield  afterwards  asked  me  to  take  care  of  his  en- 
tire lot  of  goats  consisting  of  some  thoroughbreds  which  had  been  ship- 
ped to  him  by  Diehl  &  Brown  to  be  kept  on  shares.  There  were  about 
sixty  head  of  the  Diehl  &  Brown  goats,  being  the  last  of  the  importation 
made  by  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  in  1870.  I  had  them  in  my  care  for  some 
time  and  tried  to  learn  all  I  could  about  them.  Mr.  Butterfield  wovild 
sometimes  come  to  see  them  and  would  always  pick  out  individual  ani- 


John  S.  Harris. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   80 

mals  and  say  that  is  a  'Thibet,'  and  this  is  a  'Cashmere,'  and  those  you 
see  there  are  'Angoras,'  'Bei-Bazar,'  and  'Kastamboul.'  I  am  well  satisfied 
now  that  Butterfield  did  not  know  anything  at  all  about  them.  Upon 
ono  of  his  visits,  he  brought  with  him  a  Mr.  Wm.  Hall  of  San  Jose,  Cal, 
who  purchased  all  of  the  goats  (140)  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head 
of  Buck  sheep  for  $19,000.00,  which  he  asked  me  to  continue  to  care  for 
imtil  I  heard  from  him  again. 

"I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  try  and  learn  something  about  these  goats 
from  headquarters,  and  as  I  had  an  old  schoolmate  living  in  India  I 
wrote  to  ask  him  what  he  knew  about  the  'Cashmere'  goat.  He  wrote 
me  that  it  was  a  long  way  from  where  he  was  (Madras)  to  Cashmere,  but 
he  sent  me  a  sample  of  their  wool  which  was  so  beautiful,  and  fine,  that 
I  at  once  determined  to  have  some  of  the  animals  direct  from  their  na- 
tive home. 

"In  the  meantime  I  had  sent  a  sample  of  the  hair  from  a  buck  which 
Butterfield  had  valued  in  the  sale  at  $500.00  to  Paisley,  Scotland,  which 
they  reported  to  me  was  too  coarse  for  them  to  use  but  it  was  estimated 
to  be  worth  twenty  cents  per  pound  in  Bradford,  England. 

"This  convinced  me  that  the  goats  that  I  had  in  charge  for  Mr.  Hall 
were  not  the  real  stuff,  and  I  set  my  house  in  order  to  visit  Cashmere 
where  I  intended  to  make  a  purchase  of  some,  for  my  own  use. 

"I  notified  Mr.  Hall  that  I  wanted  lo  see  him  and  he  wired  me  that 
he  would  be  at  San  Jose  on  a  certain  day.  In  my  letter  to  him  I  had  en- 
closed the  reply  I  had  received  about  the  goat  hair  I  had  sent  to  Paisely, 
Scotland,  and  stated  to  him  I  was  preparing  to  go  to  Cashmere. 

"When  we  met,  he  remarked  that,  he  had  no  acquaintance  with  the  An- 
gora goat,  and  had  bought  them  from  Butterfield  upon  speculation,  with 
the  expectation  of  establishing  a  large  goat  ranch  in  old  Mexico  upon  a 
grant  of  one  million  acres  of  land  which  he  was  then  arranging  to  have 
legally  fixed  in  the  State  of  Chihuahua.  He  stated  that,  if  I  would  go 
to  Cashmere  he  would  be  glad  to  join  me  in  the  undertaking,  which  was 
then  and  there  agreed  upon,  and  I  was  to  be  the  general  manager  of 
the  ranch  upon  my  return.  But  'man  proposes  and  God  disposes,'  for, 
when  I  was  in  the  City  of  Angora  a  telegram  was  flashed  across  the  ocean 
thai  the  Bank  of  California  had  failed,  and  the  few  commercial  men  in 
thai:  city  seemed  to  think  that  the  whole  of  America  had  gone  under. 
Mr.  Hall  was  largely  interested  in  the  bank,  and  was  also  a  large  owner 
in  Virginia  City  both  in  property  and  mining  stock;  the  bottom  went  out 
of  'Comstock'  which  caused  Ralston,  the  president  of  the  Bank  of  Cali- 
fornia to  commit  suicide;  a  revolution  in  Mexico  occurred  about  the 
same  time,  which  upset  our  Mexican  grant  of  land,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  loss  of  money  spent  in  getting  the  bill  passed;  and  to  make  a  long 
story  short  the  great  castle  we  had  built  in  the  air  had  tumbled  all  into 
little  pieces,  and  when  I  returned  to  the  United  States  with  twelve  head 
of  as  fine  goats  as  ever  came  across  the  water,  into  any  country,  I  was 


<)0  A  Nm." .  I)idusir\ . 

very  glad  to  settle  down  on  my  old  ranch  in  California.  The  twelve  head 
of  goats  had  cost  us  $0500.00  and  Mr.  Hall  was  partner  with  me  in  the 
business  until  1880  when  I  bought  his  interest  and  have  gone  it  alone  ever 
since  that  time." 

Referring  to  his  trip  to  India,  and  into  the  Hymalaya 
mountains  to  reach  Cashmere,  Mr.  Harris  mentions  it  with 
as  much  unconcern  as  one  would  a  journey  over  our  own 
Rocky  mountains  into  California,  little  dreaming  that  his  life 
was  in  danger  every  moment  of  the  time  he  was  there.  The 
following  letter  from  the  governor's  secretary  of  Punjab,  an 
English  official  at  Lahore,  India,  which  was  very  kindly  given  to 
him  by  that  gentleman,  by  way  of  assisting  him  in  his  travels, 
will  be  interesting: 

Government  of  India, 
Lahore,   9th   Sept.,   1875. 
My  Dear  Jenkins: 

I  give  this  to  a  very  intelligent  man  named  John  S.  Harris  wdio  came 
all  the  way  from  California  to  get  a  dozen  Cashmere  buck  goats  to  im- 
prove his  stock  in  the  former  country.  Considering  the  man  knows  noth- 
ing of  the  language  I  think  it  shows  he  is  a  very  sporting  character  to 
come  so  far  on  such  a  speculation,  and  deserves  every  assistance.  The 
man  is  game  to  go  into  Cashmere  to  buy  the  goats  himself,  but  he  has 
only  a  month  left  before  he  must  leave  the  Valley  again.  I  have  advis- 
ed him  to  go  and  see  you  as  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  admire  the  fellow's 
pluck,  and  do  all  you  can  to  help  him,  or  if  you  send  a  man  up  to 
Jehlum  either  with  him,  or  alone,  you  could  get  from  the  Maharaja's  peo- 
ph,  the  goats.  He  has  money  to  pay.  It  is  really  a  very  enterprising  thing 
and  you  are  just  the  man  to  appreciate  and  encourage  it  so  I  do  not  hes- 
itate to  ask  you  to  help  him.     Best  regards, 

Yours  sincerely, 
M.  MAUGHER. 

Mr.  Harris,  very  fortunately,  made  the  journey  without 
trouble,  and  then  decided  to  go  into  Asia  Minor  and  look  at 
the  goats  in  that  country  before  purchasing  any.  Passing 
through  the  Suez  canal,  at  Port  Said,  he  took  passage  on  a 
vessel  that  was  manned  entirely  by  Russians,  and  there  was 
only  one  passenger,  besides  himself,  who  seemed  to  be  an 
educated  person.  No  one  on  board  was  able  to  speak  English 
until  they  reached  Tripoli,  when  a  young  lad  of  fifteen  got  on, 


spread  nf  Angora  Coot  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories,   gi 

who  proved  to  be  a  Greek,  and  had  attended  an  American  mis- 
sion school  at  Smyrna  and  had  been  on  a  visit  to  his  parents, 
and  was  on  his  return  to  school 

"This  boy,"  Air.  Harris  writes,  "was  kind  enough  to  act  as  my  inter- 
preter, and  I  was  pleased  to  learn  that  my  fellow-passenger  was  a  scholar 
of  great  learning,  and  was  a  native  of  the  interior  of  Asia  Minor.  The 
boy  told  me  he  was  a  professor  of  a  language  that  was  now  nearly  dead, 
belonging  to  tribes  that  formerly  inhabited  the  interior  of  Asia  Minor, 
and  he  had  been  for  the  past  year  at  Cyprus  studying  ancient  Greek.  The 
people  of  the  Isle  of  Cyprus  had  originally  been  driven  from  Asia  Minor 
by  the  Mohammedans.  He  said  he  was  well  posted  on  the  Angora  goat 
and  if  the  weather  was  good  the  next  day,  he  would  get  out  a  book  on  the 
ancient  history  of  Asia  Minor  and  it  had  in  it  some  beautiful  steel  en- 
gravings of  the  original  Angora  goat.  The  young  lad  read  the  book  and 
interpreted  to  me,  the  Turkish  gentleman  sitting  beside  us  and  explaining: 

"The  book  stated  that  about  Alexander  the  Great's  time,  before  Mo- 
hammed, and  his  Arab  followers  conquered  Asia  Minor,  there  lived  a 
tribe  of  people  in  those  mountains  that  kept  beautiful  mohair  goats,  and 
made  from  their  fleeces  fine  fabrics  and  disposed  of  them  to  the  nobility 
of  the  neighboring  countries.  The  engravings  showed  the  family  in 
their  rude  dwelling  fondling  and  playing  with  their  goats,  and  the  book 
stated  that  it  was  customary  to  bathe  the  animals  in  the  wine  of  Cyprus, 
and  comb  their  hair  with  ivory  combs  dipped  in  olive  oil. 

"In  my  travels  through  Asia  Minor  I  saw  evidences  of  large  cities, 
that  had  existed  at  some  period,  or  other,  but  were  now  totally  ruined,  be- 
ing in  a  desert,  waste  place,  where  there  was  no  sign  of  vegetation  or  life 
of  any  kind,  yet  the  ruins  of  the  city  was  proof  that  this  great  plateau 
country  was  one  time  largely  populated. 

"It  has  often  occurred  to  me,  since  I  left  Angora  that,  there  was  a 
time  when  a  beautiful,  perfect  mohair  goat  existed  in  that  country  very 
different  from  any  that  I  saw  there  or  that  has  been  imported  into  this 
country.  The  engraving  I  saw  in  the  book  just  referred  to  showed  no 
long  pendant  ears;  but  small  ones  and  the  animal  seemed  to  be  small,  and 
very  intelligent.  If  it  would  be  of  any  benefit  to  trace  the  history  of  this 
beautiful  animal  I  feel  quite  sure  that  much  information  can  be  had  in 
Greek  history." 

Air.  Harris  has  devoted  great  care  in  the  breeding  of  his 
goats,  and  has  never  used  any  bucks  but  those  of  his  own 
raising,  and  by  careful  selection  has  greatly  improved  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  them,  besides  adding  largely  to  their  mo- 
hair-producing qualities.  His  original  goats  sheared  9  pounds 
for  bucks  and  4  pounds  for  does ;  and  he  has  raised  one  buck 


Q2  A  Nczv  Industry. 

that  sheared  as  high  as  18^  pounds  and  does  as  high  as  9 
pounds.  The  tuft  on  the  forehead  is  pure  mohair,  six  to  seven 
inches  long,  and  as  fine  as  any  portion  of  the  fleece,  which  is 
a  strong  evidence  of  the  great  strength  of  blood  they  possess. 

For  a  number  of  years  he  did  not  offer  any  bucks  for 
sale,  making  wethers  out  of  them,  and  deriving  his  profit  from 
mohair  alone,  but  he  has  recently  divided  his  flock  into  three 
parts,  placing  one  in  Texas,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Geo.  W. 
Baylor,  at  Montcll,  Uvalde  County,  ad  another  at  Salem,  Ore- 
gon, in  connection  with  Mr.  J.  B.  Early,  keeping  the  remaining 
third  at  his  home  in  Oakley,  Idaho,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying 
other  breeders  with  males,  for  which  he  receives  a  great  many 
orders ;  and,  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  his  customers 
at  a  distance  with  bucks  that  he  determined  on  dividing  up 
his  flock. 

Although  Mr.  Harris  is  on  the  shady  side  of  sixty,  he 
cannot  be  called  an  old  man,  for  he  is  as  full  of  vigor,  and  en- 
terprise, as  a  man  of  forty;  and,  if  he  thought  he  could  find 
any  better  stock  of  goats  than  he  already  has,  he  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  make  another  journey  to  the  remotest  corner  of  the 
earth  to  get  them. 

He  has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  two  girls  and  a 
boy,  who  take  the  same  pride  in  !iis  fine  flock  of  goats  as  he 
does  himself. 

There  are  probably  not  over  one  thousand  head  of  Angora 
goats  in  Idaho,  the  majority  of  which  belong  to  Mr.  Harris. 

UTAH  got  her  start  in  18T2  or  1873  through  Brigham 
Young,  President  of  the  Mormon  Church.  He  purchased  two 
pure-blooded  animals  from  Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  since  when 
Qiher  stock  has  been  imported  and  it  is  estimated  they  now  have 
3000  to  4000  head. 

WYOMING  has  paid  but  little  attention  to  the  industry, 
and  has  only  about  3000  goats. 

WASHINGTON  has  only  a  limited  number,  perhaps  2,500 
Thev  were  first  started  there  in  1881. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   95 

MONTANA  has  but  few  breeders.  They  were  first  intro- 
duced about  1881,  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Miles  of  Silver  Bow.  Mr.  H.  A. 
Brannin  of  Marysville,  has  a  small  flock  and  speaks  very  encour- 
agingly of  the  climate,  etc.  It  is  estimated  they  have  one  thous- 
and Angoras  now. 

MINNESOTA  has  only  a  few.  Mr.  C.  D.  Tuthill  of  Tut- 
hill,  Anoka  County,  was  perhaps  the  first  to  become  interested 
in  them  in  1894  and  his  experience  is  assuring  that  Minnesota 
is  well  adapted  to  their  propagation.  It  is  estimated  there  are 
about  500  head  in  the  State  at  this  time. 

NORTH    CAROLINA.     Mr.    T.    K.    Bruner.    Secretary 
Board  of  Agriculture,  writes  that : 

"The  Angora  was  introduced  into  North  Carolina  about  twenty  years 
ago  by  Mr.  Jno.  A.  Boyden  of  Salisbury,  N.  C,  but  very  little  attention 
was  paid  to  them  and  they  strayed  off  into  the  mountains  and  were  shot 
by  mountaineers  as  wild  game.  Mr.  Lafayette  Holt  of  Burlington,  N.  C, 
is  interested  in  a  small  flock,  which  he  started  in  1893." 

Onehundredhead  will  probably  cover  the  number  of  goats  in 
North  Carolina  at  present. 

NEBRASKA  has  no  Angora  goats,  but  a  correspondent 
from  Gering,  in  that  State,  who  seems  to  be  very  much  interes- 
ted in  the  industry,  writes  : 

"We  have  the  best  goat  country  in  Northwestern  Nebraska  that  can 
be  found  anywhere." 

ARIZONA  received  her  first  goats  in  1882  through  Col. 
Wm.  Hardy,  of  Phoenix,  and,  it  is  estimated,  there  are  upwards 
of  ten  thousand  in  the  Territory  at  the  present  time 

NORTH  DAKOTA.  Mr.  O.  O.  Johnson,  Dep.  Com.. 
Agr.  writes  :     "There  are  no  Angora  goats  in  North  Dakota." 

SOUTH  DAKOTA.  Dr.  F.  A.  Spofiford,  of  Flandreau, 
\vrites  : 

"From  my  connection  as  Regent  of  Education  with  the  State 
Agricultural  College,  I  must  say  that,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain  no  one 
has  engaged  in  raising  goats  in  this  State.  A  year  ago  we  corresponded 
with  different  parties  with  a  view  to  their  introduction  upon  the  College 
farm,  but  up  to  this  time  nothing  has  been  done.  I  am  personally  very 
much  interested  in  this  question." 


9^  A  A'czv  Industry. 

COLORADO  has  taken  but  little  interest  in  the  Angora 
up  to  this  time,  and  has  perhaps  six  thousand  head  of  goats. 

KANSAS  has  just  commenced  breeding  the  Angora  goat, 
and.  judging  from  the  interest  that  is  being  manifested  by  her 
people  she  will  play  a  very  prominent  part  in  the  industry  very 
soon.  Mr.  R.  C.  Johnson  of  Lawrence,  writes  me  under  date 
o-  15th  February,  1899  : 

"I  have  handled  3500  head  of  Angora  goats,  since  September  and  ex- 
pect to  handle  that  many  more  before  1st  of  June  of  which  I  have 2000  now 
on  the  way  from  Texas.  I  had  no  idea  of  the  demand  for  goats  when  I 
entered  the  business,  and  it  is  on  the  increase.  I  purchased  the  "Gun- 
zer'  flock  of  goats  for  my  own  breeding.  They  are  said  to  be  one  of  the 
finest   flocks   in   the    State   of   lexas."* 

It  is  estimated  that  Kansas  has  at  least  50U0  goats  at  the 
present  time. 

OKLAHOMA  recieved  her  first  Angoras  in  1890.  and  has 
pernaps  two  thousand  head. 

ILLINOIS  has  very  few  Angoras,  and  has  only  recently 
taken  any  notice  of  the  animal.  In  reply  to  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  IlHnois  State  Board  of  Agtl.  in  August, 
Mr.  W.  C.  Garrard  writes: 

"I  don't  think  they  are  raised  here  at  all." 
But  Mr.  C.  S.  Hern  of  Chicago,  informs  me  that  he 

"Imported  a  car  load  in  the  early  part  of  18!I9  for  the  purpose  of 
cleaning  some  brush  land,  he  had  purchased  near  Quincy.  and  that  he  has 
been  remarkably  well  pleased  with  his  investment." 

I  suppose  three  hundred  head  v.'ill  cover  the  number  owned 
in  Illinois  today;  but,  to  judge  from  the  vast  amount  of  brushy 
lands  that  are  in  the  State  I  am  {|uite  sure  many  others  will 
follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Mr.  Horn. 

MICHIGAN.  Mr.  C.  D.  Smith.  Director  of  Michigan  Ex- 
periment Station,  writes : 


*The  "Gunzcr"  flock  of  goats  was  started  from  "Di -ine"  stock,  and 
'.re  siid  to  be  a  very  superior  lot  of  Angoras. 


spread  of  -ingora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   93 

"I  am  now  looking  up  the  question  of  Angora  goats  for  some  of  our 
poorer  lands  in  Crawford  and  adjacent  counties.  I  know  of  no  extensive 
breeders  of  goat3  in  this  State." 

One  hundred  head  will  probably  cover  all  the  Angoras  now 
lield  in  Michigan. 

INDIANA.  According  to  a  "Report  of  the  Indiana  State 
Board  of  Agriculture,"  published  in  1866,  an  efifort  was  made  to 
encourage  the  raising  of  the  Angora  goat  in  Indiana  and  the 
"Committee  on  Awards"  strongly  recommended  the  raising  of 
this  class  of  animal  because  they  were  found  to  be  very  profit- 
able.    See  Agtl.  Rept.  for  1867,  p.  353. 

Mr.  Charles  F.  Kennedy,  the  present  Secretary  of  the  Ind- 
iana State  Board  of  Agriculture,  writes  under  date  of  9th  Aug- 
ust, 1899,  that 

"There  are  very  few  Angora  goats  in  the  State  of  Indiana." 

Dr.  P.  C.  Plaster  of  Indianapolis,  writes  me  that  interest  in 
the  animal  is  being  revived,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  consider- 
able numbers  will  soon  be  introduced  into  the  State. 

MAINE.  A  report  was  circulated  some  years  ago  by  an 
Eastern  newspaper  that  a  strong  syndicate  had  been  formed  to 
raise  the  Angora  goat  upon  a  mammoth  scale,  and  that  they 
contemplated  starting  with  one  hundred  thousand  goats. 

In  reply  to  an  inquiry  about  the  matter,  Mr.  B.  Walker 
McKeen,  Secretary  of  the  Agtl.  Dept.  of  the  State,  says : 

"Whatever  you  may  have  seen  in  print  in  relation  to  the  matter 
originated  in  the  fertile  brain  of  a  newspaper  reporter  and  has  no  foun- 
dation whatever  in  fact.     We  have  no  Angora  goats  in  our  State." 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  Mr.  N.  J.  Bachelder,  Secretary  of 
Board  of  Agriculture,  writec  : 

"We  know  nothing  about  Angora  goats." 

VERMONT.  Mr.  C.  J.  Bell,  Master  of  Vermont  State 
Grange,  writes : 

"I  do  not  know  of  any  Angora  goats  in  the  State." 


pd  A  Nczv  Iiidiisfry. 

CONNECTICUT  received  some  Angoras  soon  after  they 
were  first  introduced  into  the  United  States,  as  did  Massachu- 
setts ;  but  there  was  never  any  very  general  interest  taken  in 
the  industry,  and  only  a  very  few  farmers  have  kept  them. 

Mr.  James  A.   I'.ill  of   IHll   Hill   P.  O.,  writes  me  that,  he 

"Has  been  breeding  a  few  for  thirty  years,  and  has  found  them 
the  most  profitable  part  of  Iiis  farm." 

It  is  estimated  Connecticut  has  three  hundred  Angoras. 

ARKANSAS.  Has  no  Angora  goats,  but  has  some  com- 
mon stock. 

ALABAMA.  Has  no  Angora  goats,  but  has  some  of  the 
common  stock. 

LOUISIANA.  Has  some  common  and  probably  three 
hundred  head  of  Angoras. 

MISSISSIPPI.  Has  no  Angora  goats,  and  a  few  thous- 
and common. 

The  last  named  States  have  all  got  more  or  less  of  the  com- 
mon short-haired  goat  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  An- 
gora can  be  made  very  profitable  in  many  sections  of  these 
vStates  except  where  the  land  is  low  and  swampy. 

IOWA  did  not  take  any  particular  notice  of  the  Angora 
goat  until  1893,  when  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of  Platteville,  in  Taylor 
County,  imported  between  three  and  four  hundred  for  the  pur- 
pose of  clearing  some  hazel-brush  land,  and  his  success  was  so 
remakable  that  it  has  resulted  in  making  Iowa  the  third  largest 
Angcra  State  in  the  Union.  It  is  estimated  there  are  at  least  forty 
thousand  head  of  Angora  goats  in  this  State  at  the  present 
time,  which  have  been  shipped  principally  from  Texas ;  and,  to 
judge  from  the  great  number  of  inquiries  that  are  being  made  by 
farmers  who  think  of  patterning  after  Dr.  Standley's  very  prac- 
tical way  of  clearing  land,  it  is  saf^  to  predict  that,  Iowa  will 
soon  outstrip  all  other  States,  in  point  of  numbers.  The  amount 
of  good  that  has  resulted,  and  will  result  hereafter,  from  this 
gentleman's  enterprise,  is  immeasurable.  It  has  not  only  been 
of  immense  benefit  to  the  owners  of  land  in  his  own  State,  but 


spread  of  Angora  Goaf  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.   0/ 

has  extended  into  other  States  as  well,  and  has  injected  new  life 
into  the  industry  in  all  of  the  States  that  have  been  raising  Ango- 
ras for  mohair.  There  is  not  a  single  State  that  has  not  already 
felt  the  influence  of  his  work,  and  the  demand  that  has  been 
created  for  goats,  to  be  used  in  clearing  brushy  lands  alone, 
will  call  for  more  animals  than  can  possibly  be  furnished  from 
the  present  supply,  which  will  result  in  the  building  up  of  a  very 
large  industry  in  all  of  our  Western  States  -and  Territories, 
where  suitable  lands  can  be  controlled  at  a  reasonable  expense. 

Dr.  vStandley  was  born  in  Hendrix  County,  Indiana,  22d 
December.  1831.  His  parents  moved  to  Putnam  County,  in  the 
same  State,  when  he  was  an  infant,  and  in  1845  they  moved  to 
Pike  County,  Illinois,  where  they  remained  until  the  spring  of 
I80O,  and  then  moved  to  Davis  County,  Iowa,  where  the  Doc- 
tor reached  his  majority.  He  was  partly  educated  in  Indiana, 
IlHnois  and  Iowa,  entering  the  Iowa  State  University  at  Keo- 
kuk, from  which  institution  he  graduated  as  a  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine in  1855,  and  he  secured  a  second  diploma,  as  a  physician, 
in  1889,  from  the  Kentucky  School  of  Medicine,  at  Louis- 
ville. On  the  4th  July,  1854.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Racheal 
Hornback  of  Pittsfield,  IlUnois,  with  whom  he  settled  on  a  large 
tract  of  land  he  had  acquired  in  Jefferson,  T.  P..  Taylor  County, 
where  he  has  resided  ever  since. 

He  practiced  his  profession,  more  or  less,  but  having  a 
great  fondness  for  agriculture  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising,  which  he  always  conducted  upon  scientific 
lines,  and  prided  himself  upon  having  the  most  improved  strains 
of  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  that  could  be  purchased. 

With  his  characteristic  enterprise  he  established  a  store, 
to  supply  himself,  and  neighbors,  with  merchandise,  which  had 
to  be  hauled,  by  wagon,  from  the  Missouri  river  at  St.  Joseph, 
Mo.,  a  distance  of  seventy-three  miles.  He  set  aside  a  certain 
part  of  land  for  school  and  religious  purposes  which  has  resulted 
in  the  building  up  of  the  thriving  Httle  village  of  Platteville.  sit- 
uated about  midway  between  Blockton,  on  the  "Chicago  & 
Great  Western  R.  R.,"  and,  Bedford,  on  the  "Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy."  which  is  now  supplied  with  a  daily  """-ail  and  tele- 
phone service. 


q8  a  Nnv  Industry. 

About  six  hundred  acres  of  his  farm  had  been  left  in  tim- 
ber, for  pasture  purposes,  Init  the  hazel-brush  soon  became  very 
thick,  and  interfered  greatly  with  the  growth  of  grass.  The  com- 
mon method  for  getting  rid  of  this  nuisance  was.  to  cut  the  brush 
down,  and  run  sheep,  and  cattle,  on  it,  but  the  Doctor  onlv  suc- 
ceeded in  clearing  eighty  acres  of  it  in  fifteen  years,  and  for  a 
man  of  his  progressive  ideas  this  was  altogether  too  slow  a  way. 
The  cost  of  grub-bin^-  up  the  roots  would  be  expensive  and  for  a 
time  he  was  undecided  what  course  to  follow.  He  had  always 
heard  that  the  goat  was  very  fond  of  brush,  and  decided  to  give 
this  animal  a  trial  before  resorting  to  the  more  expensive  meth- 
od of  grubbing  it  out.  He  visited  Texas  and  purchased  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  graded  Angoras  in  1893,  and 
the  shipment  created  considerable  comment  on  the  part  of  all 
who  sav/  them.  Many  of  his  neighbors  thought  it  was  a  piece 
of  folly,  but  in  a  short  time  they  realized  that  his  judgment  was 
good,  and  by  fall,  the  portion  of  the  land  that  had  been  used  to 
hold  the  goats,  looked  very  much  like  a  prairie  fire  had  passed 
over  it ;  and  in  less  than  three  years,  this  lot  of  goats,  with  their 
increase,  had  destroyed  every  hazel-brush  on  his  farm,  and  the 
blue-grass  had  taken  a  stand  far  superior  to  any  in  the  vicinity 
which  is  doubtless  explained  by  tlie  rich  fertilizing  quality  of 
the  droppings  from  the  goat. 

Dr.  Standley  does  not  believe  in  "keeping  his  light  under 
a  basket,"  he  therefore,  proclaimed  the  great  success  he  had 
achieved  through  the  press,  so  that  his  fellow-farmers  might 
profit  by  his  experience  ;  and,  in  1897,  he  imported  two  thous- 
and head  more,  which  he  sold  out  in  small  lots  at  auction,  and  in 
less  than  twelve  months  after,  the  demand  for  Angora  goats  was 
almost  universal  among  Iowa  farmers.  The  Doctor  was  convinced 
that  this  demand  would  continue,  so  he  concluded  to  engage  in 
raising  the  animal  for  profit,  and  in  1897,  succeeded  in  purchasing 
the  entire  flock  of  pure  bred  Angoras  from  the  estate  of  the 
late  Col.  Richard  Peters  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  who  had  l^een  a 
conspicuous  breeder  of  thoroughbreds  from  a  very  early  period. 
He  has  since  shipped  breeding  bucks  into  the  Dominion  of 
Canada,  and  to  many  of  the  States  as  well  and.  at  the  present 
time  has  a  little  over  one  hundred  of  the  "Peters'  "  goats  on 


Dr,  J.  R.  Standley. 


spread  of  Angora  Goat  Industry  in  the  States  and  Territories.  loi 

liand.  which  he  takes  great  pride  in  breeding,  and  is  confident 
he  win  be  able  to  improve  their  high  standard,  in  the  chmate  of 
Iowa,  over  what  they  had  attained  in  the  warmer  chmate  of 
Georgia.  The  foUowing  is  a  copy  of  the  opinion  of  an  expert  in 
Bradford,  England,  who  examined  some  of  Dr.  Standley's  clip 
of  1898 : 

Calverley.  Nr.  Leeds, 
August  5th,  1899. 
Mr.  J.  R.  Slandley,  Platteville,  Iowa. 

"Ceriificate  of  Merit." 
I   beg  to   acknowledge   receipt   of  the   sample   of   Mohair   grown   by 
yo:i  and  sent  through  Messrs.  VVm.  R.  Payne  &  Co.  of  New  York. 

Permit  me  to  say  that  the  sample  of  mohair  is  first-class  in  every 
respect.  I  showed  it  to  several  of  our  largest  users,  and  was  asked  if  I 
had  any  for  sale,  all  being  agreed,  it  was  a  very  useful  style  of  hair  and 
well  suited  to  the  present  requirements  ot  the  trade  of  Bradford.  It  was 
a  vtry  good  quality,  capital  length,  good  lustre,  very  free  of  kemp,  and  on 
a  par  with  average  Turkey.  Yours  faithfully, 

S    B.  HOLLINGS, 

Wool  Expert. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Dr.  Standley's  long  experience  in 
handling  live  stock  will  greatly  assist  him  in  his  new  undertak- 
ing, and  the  Angora  goat  breeders  of  the  United  States  have 
good  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  in  having  so  practical 
a  member  in  the  industry. 

Dr.  Standley  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  wife  in  1898, 
who  had  been  his  constant  companion  for  nearly  half  a  century. 
His  two  children,  ]\lrs.  Asa  Terrel,  and  Dr.  Joe  Standley,  Jr., 
have  farms  close  to  their  father's  ;  and  between  the  three  fami- 
lies, they  occupy  in  the  neighborhood  of  five  thousand  acres  of 
as  fine  blue  grass  land  as  can  be  found  in  the  State  of  Iowa. 

Among  others  who  have  become  interested  in  Angoras  may 
be  mentioned  Dr.  Bevington  of  Wintersett,  the  owner  of  about 
six  thousand  acres  of  fine  land,  some  of  which  was  unproductive 
until  he  invested  in  goats.  This  gentleman  first  bought  a  few ; 
and,  when  he  realized  their  great  value,  he  imported  about  one 
thousand  head  from  Te.s:as. 

]\[r.  Benj.  F.  Elbert  of  Des  Moines,  is  another  prominent 
convert.     He  had  heard  of  the  wonderful  work  of  the  animal, 


102  A  Xczv  Jjidiistry. 

and  decided  to  make  a  purchase  of  a  few  hundred  at  one  of  Dr. 
Standley's  auction  sales  :  and,  afterwards,  invested  in  eight  hun- 
dred well  improved  goats,  which  he  runs  upon  his  farm,  and  is 
now  a  strong  advocate  of  the  Angora. 

]Mr.  J.  C.  Morton,  of  Indianola,  imported  a  carload  from 
Texas  in  1898,  and  has  not  only  accomplished  tlie  work  of  clear- 
ing his  farm  of  brush  but  is  breeding  them  for  profit  as  well. 

Mr.  S.  S.  McKibbin  of  Earlham,  was  another  early  convert. 
He  had  heard  of  them  through  Dr.  Standley's  work,  and  made  a 
purchase  of  some  in  1897.  He  engaged  in  dealing  in  the  animal 
and  has  disposed  of  upwards  of  five  thousand  head,  if  not  more, 
within  the  past  two  years.  Mr.  McKibbin  noticed  a  "hornless" 
male  kid  among  some  of  the  shipments  he  received,  and  decided 
to  keep  him.  and  see  if  he  could  not  develop  a  "hornless"  breed, 
which  has  been  very  satisfactory  and  I  intend  to  refer  to  the 
matter  more  particularly  later  on,  as  I  deem  it  of  great  impor- 
tance to  the  industry. 

Capt.  J.  Murray  Hoag,  of  Maquoketa,  is  another  who  saw 
the  opportunitv  of  dealing  in  Angoras  and  has  been  quite  an 
active  agent  in  distributing  them  for  the  past  year,  sending 
rome  as  far  East  as  Massachusetts,  and  he  feels  very  much  en- 
couraged. This  gentleman  has  engaged  in  breeding,  as  well, 
and  it  is  reported  he  has  recently  taken  steps  to  import  some 
stock  from  South  Africa. 

Many  others  have  purchased  Angoras  upon  a  large  scale, 
but  the  bulk  of  the  holdings,  in  Iowa,  run  from  twenty-five  up 
to  one  and  two  hundred  head.  The  demand  has  been  so  steady 
for  the  past  few  years,  it  is  now  very  difficult  to  find  any  improved 
goats  for  sale,  in  Texas,  and  buyers  are  beginning  to  look  to 
California  and  other  States  for  a  supply.  I  am  quite  sure  it  will 
soon  become  necessary  to  buy  the  short-haired  "Mexican" 
goat,  and  grade  them  up  as  the  early  breeders  had  to  do. 


^ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CENSUS   OF   ANGORA   GOATS   IN    THE   UNITED   STATES. 

The  number  of  xA.ngora  goats  in  the  United  States  is  en- 
tirely problematical.  There  has  never  been  any  census  taken  of 
them  by  the  U.  S.  authorities  and  it  is  impossible  to  arrive  at 
an\  absolutely  correct  number,  but  v;e  can  come  to  a  reasonably 
fair  approximation  through  the  agency  of  the  amount  of  mohair 
that  is  marketed,  which  is  the  basis  of  the  following  estimate, 
and  I  feel  under  obligations  to  Messrs.  Wm.  R.  Payne  &  Co. 
of  Xew  York,  for  the  information. 

In  sending  me  this  estimate  ]\Ir.  Payne  writes  : 

"We  have  yours  of  the  10th  inst.  and  regarding  your  query  as  to 
the  number  of  Angoras  in  the  country,  you  doubtless  know  that  there  is 
no  statistical  data  at  all  to  base  on.  The  census  returns  give  goats  of  all 
kinds  in,  together,  with  sheep,  and  the  proposition  is,  therefore  purely  hy- 
pothetical, and  about  as  near  guess  work  as  anything  can  be.  The  only 
way  we  can  arrive  at  a  remote,  and  very  unreliable,  approximation  is  to 
get  as  near  as  possible  the  mohair  grown  in  each  State,  so  far  as  can  be 
ascertained,  and  average  the  fleeces  to  represent  the  probable  number 
of  goats  represented.  This  is  next  to  an  impossible  matter  and  the  whole 
estimate  is  crude  and  uncertain.  We  would  not  want  to  be  committed  to 
the  figures  or  in  any  sense  be  responsible  for  their  correctness,  and  they 
are  subject  to  criticism  therefore  as  we  give  them." 

Through  the  medium  of  the  cjuestion  blanks,  that  I 
distributed  among  the  breeders,  which  I  have  summarized  in 
Chapter  XXIV,  I  am  able  to  approximate  the  weight  of  our 
shearing  per  capita  in  each  State,  and  in  this  way  I  reach  the  fol- 
lowing estimate  of  the  number  of  Angoras  in  the  dififerent  States 
at  this  time,  or  say,  on  1st  January,  1900. 


ESTIMATED   NUMBEll  OF   ANGORA   GOATS   IN   THE    UNITED 
STATES,  JANUARY  1,  1900. 


State 


Classification  of  Fleece 


Texas    


Oregon    .  . 
California 


Iowa 

New  Mexico. 


Arizona 


Colorado 
Nevada    . 


Kansas 

Utah 

Wyoming  .  .  . . 
Washington  .  . 
Oklahoma    .  . . 

]\Iissouri    

Idaho   

Montana  .  . . . 
IMassachusetts 

Georgia 

Virginia 

Ohio    

Pennsylvania  . 
Connecticut   .  . 

Illinois     

Tennessee  .  . .  . 
Kentucky  .  . .  . 
Minnesota  . . . 

Indiana    

Michiijan  . . .  . 

New  York 

N.  Carolina. . 


Mostly  bright,  and  good  condition 
Good  carding 


TOTAL 


Mostly  short,  six-months'  staple, 

but  very  clean  and  light  fieeces. 

fluffy,  and  cottony 

Mostly  bright,  and  good  condition 
Heavier  in  condition,  earthy  and 

coarser  

iMostly  bright,  and  good  condition 
Mixed      grades,      and      condition 

(dusty)    

Heavy     average     carding,     very 

earthy    

Ordinary  carding,  dusty   

Mostly    average    carding,    some 

earthy    

Heavy  and  earthy 

Heavy  alkiline  and  frowsy    ..... 

Average   carding    

Poor  carding,  hard  fibred,  low.  . 
Fair  carding    


■s°2 


■JoO.OOO 
•2-2.5.O00 


120.000 
100,000 


2y.  I 

3       I 
3       i 

2y.  I 


100,000 
75,000 


40,000 

40,000 


30.000 


20,000 

2 

10,000 

15,000 

21/3 

6,000 

12,500 

2y. 

5,000 

12,500 

2y. 

5,000 

9,000 

2y2 

3,500 

7,500 

2V2 

3,000 

(3,000 

■2V. 

2,500 

5,000 

2% 

2,000 

3,000 

2 

1,500 

4,000 

4 

1,000 

3,000 

3 

1,000 

2,500 

2y. 

1,000 

750 

2yo 

301, 

600 

2 

300 

(JOO 

2 

300 

600 

2 

300 

900 

3 

300 

750 

2y2 

300 

400 

2 

200 

400 

2 

200 

500 

2y3 

200 

250 

2y2 

100 

250 

2yo 

100 

250 

2% 

100 

200 

2 

100 

876,450 


329,300 


Census  of  Angora  Goafs  in  the  United  States.  loj 

Mr.  Payne  adds  : 

"Of  the  above  87(3,450  which  may  be  called  Mohair,  perhaps  about 
one-half  will  run  to  a  Combing  staple  of  six  inches  and  above.  About 
twenty  per  cent.  Medium  staple  five  to  six  inches,  and  about  thirty  per 
cent,  short  kid  Carding  and  Blanket  hair. 

"There  are,  probably,  of  cross-bred  goats,  yielding  a  very  coarse, 
kempy,  hairy  fleece,  only  suitable  for  low  carpet  yarn,  in  addition  to  the 
above  (which  may  be  called  Angora)  some  40,000  pounds  to  50,01)0  pounds, 
scattered  throughout  the  Southwest  and  Territories." 

Mr.  H.  M.  Williamson,  editor  of  the  "Oregon  Agricultitrist. 
and  Rural  Northwest,"  of  Portland,  Ore.,  says : 

"I  have  not  enough  facts  at  my  command  to  justify  a  close  estimate 
of  the  amount  of  mohair  produced  in  the  United  States  in  1899,  but  believe 
the  figures  to  be  a  little  larger  than  the  estimate  of  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Payne. 
I  do  not  think  the  amount  was  less  than  one  million  pounds.  Mr.  Payne 
certainly  underestimated  materially  the  amount  produced  in  Arizona  and 
New  ^Mexico. 

"From  the  best  information  available,  the  mohair  clip  of  Oregon 
last  year  was  about  '200,000  pounds.  The  four  buyers  who  handle  nearly 
all  the  mohair  grown  in  the  State  claim  to  have  bought  in  the  aggregate 
nearly  "2(30,000  pounds.  One  of  these  dealers  claims  to  have  bought  more 
than  I  think  he  got  and  most  of  the  mohair  grown  in  Idaho  and  Washing- 
ton, and  part  of  that  produced  in  Northern  California,  was  included  in 
these  figures.  On  the  other  hand,  some  Oregon  mohair  was  consigned 
direct  to  the  East,  by  growers.  For  the  present  year,  I  estimate  the  clip 
of  the  State  at  240,000  pounds." 

It  will  be  seen  that  with  few  exceptions  every  State  and 
Territory  in  the  Union  has  had  the  Angora  goat  at  one  time  or 
other,  and  there  has  never  been  a  failure  in  raising  them.  The 
more  Northern  States  have  an  advantage  over  the  Southern  in 
a  greater  weight  of  fleece,  which  is  doubtless  explained  by  the 
action  of  the  colder  climate.  If  the  industry  were  to  depend  al- 
together upon  the  demand  for  mohair  it  is  not  likely  the  in- 
crease would  be  very  rapid ;  but,  with  the  demand  for  goats  to 
be  used  as  brush  exterminators,  there  is  hardly  any  way  of  esti- 
mating the  number  the  United  States  will  probably  have  with- 
in the  next  decade.  It  is  very  reasonable  to  believe  we  will  have 
to  export  a  surplus  of  mohair  sooner  or  later  for  we  can  hardly 
expect  our  manufacturing  industry  to  keep  pace  with  our  in- 
--epse  in  goat:^  when  we  take  the  brush  feature  into  considera- 
tion. 


jo6  A  Nciv  Industry. 

The  South  Africa  breeders  are  evidently  afraid  of  this 
result  from  the  fact  that  they  have  recently  introduced  a  meas- 
ure in  the  Colonial  Parliament  placing  a  duty  of  $500  on  all 
Angora  goats  that  are  exported  from  that  country,  which  how- 
ever is  not  likely  to  become  effective,  as  the  adjoining  colonies 
will  have  to  co-operate  with  Cape  Colony  to  carry  out  their 
purpose,  which  undoubtedly  is,  to  prevent  the  American  breed- 
ers from  purchasing  any  of  their  goats.  It  is  gratifying  to  know 
that  we  already  have  quite  enough  of  pure  blooded  stock  to 
be  entirely  independent  of  this  selfish  country,  provided  proper 
care  is  used  in  breeding,  which  is  more  than  likely  to  be 
followed  l)y  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  own  a  stud 
flock. 

But,  as  above  stated,  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  the  law  will 
ever  become  operative  and  we  may  expect  quite  a  considerable 
trade  with  the  breeders  of  South  Africa,  who  have  pure  stock, 
which  will  assist  us  greatly  in  developing  our  own  industry  and 
be  a  source  of  profit  to  breeders  in  that  country. 

In  justice  to  the  broad  minded  gentlemen  who  were  oppos- 
ed to  the  placing  of  an  export  duty  on  goats,  I  take  pleasure 
in  copying  the  following  extract  from  the  "Midland  News  and 
Karoo  Farmer."  of  Craddock,  Cape  Colony:  (Taken  from  the 
"Oregon  Agriculturist  and  Rural  Northwest.") 

SOUTH   AFRICAN    OPINIONS    ON    THE    EXPORT   TAX. 

"The  bill  to  prevent  the  export  of  Angoras  has  passed  the  Legisla- 
tive Council,  but  as  the  export  duty  will  not  come  into  force  until  Natal 
and  Mozambique  have  passed  similar  laws  it  will  be  inoperative  for  some 
time  to  come.  In  the  Upper  House  an  amendment  was  introduced  by 
Mr.  Maasdorp,  and  carried,  stipulating  that  a  similar  restriction  be  placed 
on  exportation  from  German  West  Africa,  before  the  act  takes  effect  in 
the  Colony.  When  all  the  maritime  states  have  agreed,  no  export  will 
■be  allowed  to  the  Inland  Republics  and  Rhodesia,  unless  they  agree  to 
siniilar  restrictions.  It  will  thus  be  seen  some  time  must  elaspe  before 
exportations  can  be  checked,  and  meanwhile  a  more  liberal  policy  will 
probably  find  favor  amongst  our  farmers.  The  Farmers'  Association, 
that  has  far  away  the  greatest  claim  to  be  heard  on  this  subject,  the  Zwart 
Ruggens  Association,  has  pronounced  against  this  bill;  such  well  known 
farmers  as  Mr.  C.  Lee  in  the  Lower  House  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Maasdorp 
in  the  Council  spoke  strongly  against  the  measure,  but  the  "dog  in  the 


Census  of  Angora  Goats  in  the  United  States.  107 

manger"  policy  is  the  popular  one  in  both  houses  today.  We  are  con- 
vinced that  the  more  our  enterprising  stock  breeders  (the  men  who  have 
done  more  practical  co-operative  work  in  developing  their  industry 
than  has  been  done  in  any  other  branch  of  farming)  are  encoiiraged  to 
continue  the  improvement  of  their  stud  flocks  the  higher  will  the  stand- 
ard of  Cape  mohair  be  raised.  At  the  last  Angora  ram  sale  in  Graflf- 
Remet.  there  was  no  sale  for  a  large  proportion  of  the  animals  offered; 
this  was  of  course  partly  in  consequence  of  the  drought,  but  the  fact 
remains  ihat  unless  a  fresh  outlet  is  found  for  our  best  bred  rams,  some 
breeders  will  go  out  of  the  business;  competition  will  be  lessened,  and  a 
check  given  to  that  continued  improvement  that  has  been  such  an  en- 
couraging feature  during  late  years.  The  average  quality  of  our  staple 
will  only  rise  as  the  average  quality  of  stud  flocks  rise.  The  standard 
can  only  be  raised  by  widening  our  market  for  rams.  We  repeat  our 
belief  that  whatever  rams  go  abroad,  the  best  will  be  retained  in  the 
Colony,  and  from  personal  knowledge  of  our  stud,  breeders  have  every 
confidence  that  they  will  hold  their  own  against  Americans,  Australians 
and  all  comers." 

The  "Oregon  Agricttltitrist""  makes  the  following  comment 
on  the  above : 

"From  reports  of  the  debates  in  the  Legislative  Council  and  Assembly, 
published  by  the  same  paper,  it  appears  that  the  leading  opponent  of  the 
bill  in  the  Legislative  Council  was  Hon.  Mr.  Maasdorp,  a  group  of 
whose  goats  are  illustrated  in  Cronwright  Schreiner's  'Angora  Goat.'  He 
said  it  was  not  a  fair  principle  to  restrict  the  trade.  If  trade  in  mohair 
is  extended  and  taken  up  by  other  countries,  mohair,  instead  of  being  as 
now  an  article  of  luxury  and  fashion,  will  become  an  article  of  cloth- 
ing and  we  will  have  a  stable  price.  He  also  pointed  out  the  fact  that 
the  only  practical  efifect  of  the  bill,  if  it  became  operative,  will  be  to 
prevent  Cape  Angora  breeders  who  have  spent  a  large  sum  of  money 
on  their  stock  from  getting  a  good  price  for  a  ram  from  an  occasional 
American  buyer.  The  bill  would,  however,  be  inoperative  because  it 
depended  on  the  governments  of  Natal  and  the  Province  of  Mozambique 
adopting  similar  legislation.  Even  in  the  remote  contingency  of  their 
doing  so  there  would  remain  the  chance  of  goats  working  out  through 
the  German  West  Coast  Territory. 

"Hon.  I\Ir.  Van  den  Heever,  who  supported  the  bill,  charged  Mr. 
Maasdorp  with  self  interest  in  opposing  the  bill,  because  he  was  a  breeder 
and  if  the  bill  did  not  pass  might  sell  goats  at  high  prices  to  Americans. 
If  the  bill  did  not  pass  the  result  would  be  that  within  a  year  or  two 
30,000  Angora  goats  would  be  exported  to  America.  No  words  were 
strong  enough  to  describe  the  action  of  his  honorable  friend  who  was 
animated  only  by  self-interest  and  did  not  care  what  became  of  the  Colony 
or  even  of  the  Maasdorp  family  in  the  near  future  provided  he  made  his 
ten  or  twenty  or  fifty  thousand  pounds. 


io8  A  Nnv  Industry. 

In  the  Legislative  Assembly  the  bill  was  opposed  by  Mr.  C.  Lee, 
(who  is  undoubtedly  the  Mr.  C.  G.  Lee  who  is  secretary  of  the  Angora 
Goat  Breeders'  Association  of  Cape  Colony),  and  byMr.  Hockly,  who  rep- 
resents Somerset  East,  the  district  which  contains  more  Angora  goats 
and  produces  more  Mohair  than  any  other  district  in  Cape  Colony,  and 
Sir  P.  Faure.  The  leading  advocates  of  the  bill  were  Messrs.  Van 
Heerdefa'  and  Wienaud. 

The  great  interest  that  has  been  manifested  for  the  Angora 
goat  in  the  past  few  years  has  encouraged  our  very  efficient 
Secretary  of  Agriculture,  the  Hon.  James  Wilson,  to  incorpor- 
ate in  his  report  for  1898  a  bulletin  which  was  prepared  by  Mr. 
Almont  Barnes  of  the  Division  of  Statistics,  with  great  care, 
and  covers  a  vast  amount   of  valuable   information,   touching, 

''Value  of  Goat  Skins,  Imported,"  "Number  of  Domestic 
Goats  in  the  United  States,"  "Goat  Products,"  "Available  Pas- 
turage," "Supply  of  Labor,"  and  many  other  matters  of  impor- 
tance, which  can  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  Agricultural  Re- 
port for  1898. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WHY    THE   INDUSTRY     HAS     MADE     SUCH     SLOW     PROGRESS    IN 

THE    UNITED   STATES,    AND    WHAT    WE   CAN    EXPECT 

IN    THE   FUTURE. 

Considering  the  fact  that  we  have  imported  upwards  of 
three  hundred  head  of  Angora  goats  from  Asia  Minor  during 
the  past  fifty  years,  and  that  it  is  possible  to  grade  up  the  short 
hau-ed  goat  to  a  mohair  producing  animal  with  four  or  five 
crosses  from  a  pure  bred  sire,  it  is  quite  evident  that  something 
must  have  interfered  seriously  with  the  growth  of  the  industry 
in  this  country  or  we  would  be  able  to  make  a  much  better  ex- 
liibit  than  we  do. 

Our  total  production  of  mohair  at  the  present  time  is  less 
one  million  pounds,  while  South  Africa  had  passed  the  two  mil- 
lion pound  mark  early  in  1879,  and  is  today  producing  more 
than  twelve  million  pounds  of  this  valuable  fibre. 

What  has  been  the  reason  for  such  slow  progress  on  the 
part  of  American  breeders,  when  the  industry  was  so  ciuickly 
developed  in  South  Africa?  In  1883  Dr.  Hayes,  referring  more 
particularly  to  the  efforts  of  Col.  Richard  Peters  of  Georgia, 
and  Col.  Robt.  W.  Scott  of  Kentucky,  says: 

■"The  most  valuable  result  they  have  accomplished  is  the  preservation, 
and  acclimation,  of  undoubtedly  pure  stock,  which  may  serve  as  a  founda- 
tion of  a  more  systematic  enterprise  in  this  direction  than  has  hithreto 
been  attempted  in  this  country.  That  these  breeders,  skilful  as  they 
are,  have  not  accomplished  more,  is  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  residing 
in  the  South,  their  enterprise  was  retarded  by  the  war,  but  more  to  the 
circumstances  that  perhaps,  without  abundant  capital  they  have  sought 
to  derive  their  profit  rather  from  selling  animals  than  from  increas- 
ing the  flocks  and  selling  their  fleeces.  The  increase  having  been  sold  in 
scattered  pairs,  have  got  mixed  up,  with  the  common  breed,  and  have  been 


no  A  Nciv  Industry. 

])ractically  lost.  Thus  the  greater  part  of  the  enterprise  devoted  to  the 
Angora  goat  culture,  has  been  frittered  away.  The  majority  of  breeders 
(always  excepting  such  as  I  have  above  named)  who  have  crossed  pure 
animals  upon  common  goats  have  sold  the  grade  animals,  as  if  they  had 
all  the  excellences  of  absolutely  pure  goats.  The  purchasers,  in  their 
turn,  breeding  the  grade  bucks  to  common  goats  have  been  naturally  dis- 
appointed in  the  results,  and  have  let  the  breed  run  entirely  out."  See 
Hayes,  p.  Co,  60. 

I  think  Dr.  Hayes'  conclusion  is  correct  with  reference  to 
the  injury  caused  by  the  sale  of  grade  sires  for  pure  bred,  but 
he  is  certainly  wrong  in  attaching  blame  to  either  Col.  Peters 
or  Col.  Scott,  for  the  slow  growth  of  the  industry.  These  gen- 
tleman never  contemplated  raising  mohair,  as  their  surround- 
ings did  not  admit  of  their  holding  any  large  number  of  goats. 
Their  purpose,  evidently  was  to  breed  pure  blooded  stock  and 
sell  to  others,  who  were  differently  situated,  and  who  were  in  a 
position  to  engage  in  carrying  on  the  goat  business  upon  an 
extended  scale ;  and,  in  this,  I  think  they  were  eminently  suc- 
cessful, for  a  great  many  flocks  of  Angoras  in  the  United  States 
can  be  traced  back  to  either  the  "Peters"  or  "Scott"  blood. 

Both  the  Texas  and  California  industries  can  be  traced  di- 
rectly to  Col.  Peters'  efforts,  which  resulted  in  the  importation 
of  all  the  goats  that  were  brought  into  this  country  by  others, 
for  it  is  reasonable  to  think  the  importers  would  not  have  en- 
gaged in  such  an  undertaking,  if  they  had  not  believed  they 
would  be  able  to  sell  their  stock  to  breeders  upon  arrival.  With 
the  single  exception  of  the  J.  S.  Harris  importation  (which  was 
for  his  own  personal  use),  every  one  of  the  others  was  on  spec- 
ulation, and  they  were  all  sold  at  very  satisfactory  prices.  That 
the  selling  of  high  grades  called  "full  blood"  for  pure  bred 
stock  has  had  a  tendency  to  retard  the  growth  of  the  industry, 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  this  cannot  be  the  only  cause,  for 
there  has  never  been  an  American  industry  established  yet 
that  has  not  had  to  contend  more  or  less  with  fraudulent  prac- 
tices, even  to  the  selling  of  wooden  hams  and  nutmegs.  Refer- 
ring to  the  industry  in  Australia,  which  was  started  in  1858,  only 
four  years  after  Col.  Peters  bought  the  Davis  goats.  Dr.  Hayes 
quotes   some  very  interesting  observations   from   Sir   Samuel 


Why  the  Industry  Has  Made  Such  Slozv  Progress.        Ill 

Wilson,  a  very  eminent  breeder  of  sheep  in  that  colony,  who  had 
encouraged  the  introduction  of  the  Angora  goat,  and  was  ex- 
ceedingly anxious  to  see  the  industry  fully  established. 

Dr.  Hayes  says : 

"The  evident  preference  of  this  eminent  breeder  is  for  the  system 
of  increase  from  absolutely  pure  flocks,  a  preference  which  I  regard  as 
a  strong  justification  of  the  orig-nal  views  in  the  text  of  my  essay.  Sir 
Samuel  seems  to  think  that,  from  a  National  point  of  view,  the  time  requir- 
ed to  create  immense  flocks  of  pure  animals  is  of  little  moment.  His  calcu- 
lations of  the  resuU  which  can  be  attained  in  four  decades  will  astonish 
the  reader,  he  says: 

"The  flock  of  Angora  goats,  now  (1873)  on  the  Wimmera,  is  108  in 
number,  besides  a  few  yoi.ng  k-ds.  From  calculations  carefully  made, 
and  which,  as  well  as  other  figures  in  this  paper,  have  been  verified  by 
Professor  Strong  of  the  Melbourne  University,  this  small  flock,  if  care- 
fully managed,  and  sufficient  pasture  allowed  for  it  to  graze  upon,  will, 
at  the  ordinary  rate  of  increase,  reach  in  thirty  years  the  very  large  num- 
ber of  442,.368.  This  number  should  be  sufficient  to  displace  most,  if 
not  all,  the  common  goats  in  the  Colony.  In  forty  years,  at  the  same  rate. 
the  pure  flocks  would  increase  to  over  7,0UU,UUU. 

"The  pure  flock  should,  if  possible,  be  kept  in  one  district  and  not 
scattered  about.  From  this  point,  as  a  centre,  th:  great  profit  to  be  ob- 
tained from  them  should  enable  them  to  push  their  way  and  drive  out  the 
common  goat.  The  above  estimate  of  increase  I  arrive  at  by  the  simple 
calculation  of  doubling  the  number  of  the  flock  every  two  and  one-half 
years.  This  was  found  to  be  'about  the  rate  of  increase  which  sheep 
were  observed  to  make  on  their  first  introduction  into  Australia.  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Angora,  will,  with  care,  increase  in  an  equal 
ratio. 

The  calculation  is  as  follows,  showing  the  estimated  number  at  each 
period  of  two  and  a  half  years: 

Present   number  of  flock 108 

2 

Estimated  number  in  two  and  one-half  years 216 

2 

Estimated  number  in  five  years 432 

2 

Estimated  number  in  seven  and  one-half  years 864 

2 

Estimated  number  in  ten  years 1,728 


112  A  Nnv  Industry. 

Estimated   number   in   ten   years,   carried   forward    1,728 

2 

Estimated  number  in  twelve  and  one-half  years 3,456 

3 

Estimated  number  in  fifteen  years 6,912 


Estimated  number  in  seventeen  and  one-half  years 13.824 

2 

Estimated  number  in  twenty  years 27,648 


Estimated  number  in  twenty-two  and  one-half  years 55,296 

2 

Estimated  number  in  twenty-five  years 110,592 

2 

Estimated  number  in  twenty-seven  and  one-half  years 221,184 

2 

Estimated   number  in   tliirty  vears 442,368 

2 

Estimated  number  in  thirtv-two  and  one-half  years  years 884,736 

2 

Estimated  number  in  thirtv-five  years 1,769,472 

2 

Estimated  number  in  thirty-seven  and  one-half  years 3,538,944 

2 

Estimated  number  in  forty  years 7,077,888 

"By  calculating  the  rate  of  increase  at  80  per  cent.,  yearly,  on  the  num- 
ber of  does,  of  any  age,  to  produce  kids;  and,  making  the  proper  allow- 
ance for  deaths,  from  age,  and  other  causes,  the  result  would  be  still  great- 
er, and  the  above  calculation  would  seem  moderate  in  comparison.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  flock  has  actually  been  doubled  in  number  by  nat- 
ural increase  in  the  first  two  years,  and  with  sufficient  pasture  and  proper 
care  and  management,  would  doubtless  reach  the  large  number  of  442,368 
in  ihe  year  1903,  and  upwards  of  7,000,000,  in  the  year  1913."  See  Hayes, 
pages  52  and  53. 

Dr.  Hayes  then  proceeds  to  show  that, 

"If  the  United  States  had  followed  the  above  theory  with  the 
'Chenery'  and  'Diehl'  importations  alone,  we  would  today  be  enjoying 
the  fruits  from  a  large  industry  of  pure-bred  Angora  goats,  which,  he 
estimated  (so  early  as  1882)  would  reach  2.792,000  animals  producing 
11,000,000  pounds  of  merchantable  mohair."     (See  Hayes,  p.  54.) 


JVhy  flic  Industry  Has  Made  Such  Slow  Progress.        113 

I  would  here  remind  my  reader,  that  an  industry,  and  more 
especiaUy  an  agricultural  industry,  requires  something  more 
than  dry  theory,  and  mathematics,  to  feed  upon.  The  first 
thing,  in  my  judgment,  is  a  market  for  the  product ;  and,  the  next 
is  a  complete  knowledge  on  the  part  of  all  who  engage  in  it, 
as  to  where  that  market  can  be  found,  together,  with  a  perfect 
understanding  of  how  to  produce  the  article,  and  how  to  pre 
pare  it  to  meet  the  wants  of  consumers. 

Of  all  these  essentials,  our  early  breeders  were  in  total  ig- 
norance, with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  a  very  few  of  the  lead- 
ing members ;  and,  even  at  the  present  time,  not  one  farnier 
in  ten  thousand  has  ever  seen  mohair ;  has  no  idea  of  what  an 
Angora  goat  looks  like,  and  has  not  the  remotest  idea  of  how 
to  handle  the  animal,  or  how  to  prepare  the  fleece  it  produces 
for  marketable  purposes. 

The  following  letter  written  by  Mr.  J.  R.  Rippey,  Secretary 
of  Missouri  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry 
T  made  with  reference  to  the  industry  in  this  State,  is  a  very 
strong  confirmation  of  what  I  have  just  stated: 

"Columbia,  Mo.,  August  15th,  1899. 
Mr.  Wm.   L.   Black,   Ft.   McKavett,  Tex. 

Dear  Sir — I  do  not  now  know  of  a  flock  of  Angora  goats  in  Missouri. 
Col.  John  Walker  of  Fayette,  Howard  county,  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  ago,  had  three  or  four  hundred  head,  but  I  think  they  proved  un- 
profitable and  he  disposed  of  them.  At  that  time  the  wool  buyers  in 
this  State,  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  value  of  the  fleece,  and  offered 
practically  nothing  for  it.  Then  again  the  owners  of  the  goats  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  necessary  care  of  the  fleece,  when  it  should  be  clipped,  or  as 
to  the  care  of  the  goats  for  producing  the  best  fleece.  If  there  is  a  herd 
in  this  State.  I  do  not  know  it.  Respectfully, 

J.  R.  RIPPEY. 

The  prime  reason  for  the  slow  growth  of  our  Angora 
goat  industry,  in  my  opinion,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  breeders 
could  not  make  i|  as  profitable  as  raising  other  kinds  of  live- 
stock. If  they  had  started  with  goats  that  would  pay  their 
way  with  mohair  at  the  commencement,  and  had  known  exactly 
how  to  handle  the  stock,  and  where  they  could  market  their 
mohair,  as  above  mentioned,  conditions  might  be  dififerent ;   but, 


114  ■     -^  ^'^'^  Industry. 

it  must  be  remembered,  the  early  breeders  had  to  begin  with 
common  goats,  and  grade  them  up ;  and,  even  many  of  those, 
who  used  nothing  but  absokitely  pure  bred  sires,  found  it  un- 
profitable, for  the  reason  that  their  first  and  second  crosses 
would  not  pay  to  shear,  and  there  being  no  sale  for  goat  meat 
in  our  large  markets,  were  forced  to  accept  ruinously  low  prices 
(often  as  low  as  fifty  cents  per  head)  from  local  ranchmen,  who 
used  them  for  ranch  meat  purposes.  This  had  a  tendency  to 
discourage  others  from  engaging  in  the  business,  and  the  re- 
sult has  been,  that  only  a  few  have  had  the  confidence  and  ability 
to  hold  their  goats,  until  they  had  graded  them  up  to  a  paying 
basis,  while  the  many  gave  up  in  despair,  very  early  in  the  strug- 
gle, and  their  goats  have  been  sold  out  and  slaughtered.  My 
personal  experience,  which  is  outlined  in  my  "Introductory  Re- 
marks," is.  I  think  a  very  good  illustration  of  this  condition. 
I  had  accumulated  as  many  as  8000  head  of  goats  of  all  grades, 
from  the  common  "Mexican"  to  very  high  grades,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  thin  out  my  goats  for  two  reasons :  1st,  my  old  goats 
would  soon  die  of  old  age ;  and,  2nd,  my  range  was  not  suf- 
ficient to  accommodate  so  many  goats,  with  my  other  stock. 
I  tried  faithfully  to  find  a  market  for  one  thousand  fat  wethers, 
and  the  following  letter  received  from  a  Chicago  packing  house 
will  show  what  poor  success  I  met  with,  (the  name  of  the  writer 
is  omitted  for  obvious  reasons) : 

Chicago,  111..  Sept.  25th,  1892. 
Wm.  L.  Black.  Ft.  McKavett,  Tex. 

Dear  Sir — Yours  of  the  15th  inst.  offering  to  sell  us  1000  fat  wether 
goats  is  at  hand  and  we  regret  to  say  we  c  nnot  use  them.  We  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  grade  Angora  mutton  is  fully  equal  to  sheep,  and  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  slaughter  them  in  a  limited  way,  when  we  receive  them 
with  a  flock  of  sheep,  but  the  prejudice  for  goat  meat  is  so  strong,  that 
we  do  not  feel  justified  in  slaughtering  them  in  such  large  numbers  as  you 
propose  to  ship.  Very  truly  yours, 


Being  compelled  to  do  something,  I  resorted  to  the  scheme 
of  slaughtering  them  myself  for  their  hides  and  tallow. 

The  American  farmer  is  impulsive  and  will  often  sacrifice 
years  of  labor  spent  in  grading  up  stock  that  he  finds  to  be  un 


JVIiy  the  Industry  Has  Made  Such  Slozv  Progress. 


115 


profitable  in  a  monejed  sense.  It  is  the  dollar  that  influences 
him  and  not  sentiment.  During  the  two  periods  of  depression 
we  have  had  in  our  sheep  industry  in  the  past  17  years,  (1883  to 
1886,  and  1890  to  1894,  both  caused  by  adverse  tariff  legislation) 
which  resulted  in  a  temporary  decline  in  wool,  millions  of  fine 
shearing  sheep  were  sent  to  the  shambles,  and  sold  for  a  trifle, 
because  the  proceeds  from  wool  did  not  pay  for  keeping  them. 
Horses,  too  have  been  sacrificed  in  the  same  ruinous  way,  dur- 
ing the  past  few  years,  for  the  same  reason,  which  has  resulted 
in  setting  back  both  of  these  industries  very  seriously. 

That  our  country  is  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  the  An- 
gora has  been  clearly  proven,  and  all  who  held  their  goats  until 
they  had  reached  a  shearing  capacity,  of  say  two  pounds  per  head, 
have  made  money,  and  are  now  enjoying  better  results  from 
this  branch  of  their  livestock  than  any  other ;  but,  it  is  not  reas- 
onable to  suppose  that  all  breeders  would  have  the  patience, 
and  financial  strength  to  hold  on  to  stock  for  a  number  of  years 
at  a  loss  when  they  could  use  their  land,  and  their  energies 
with  a  different  kind  of  stock  that  would  yield  them  better  re- 
sults. 

Because  South  Africa  has  been  so  remarkably  successful 
is  no  reason  to  think  they  have  a  country  better  suited  to  the 
Angora  goat  than  the  United  States  is.  Conditions  in  the  two 
countries  are  very  different. 

In  the  United  States  we  have  a  large  home  and  export  de- 
mand for  fresh  meat,  and  farmers  naturally  prefer  raising  such 
stock  as  will  meet  with  ready  sale. 

In  South  Africa  the  sale  for  fresh  meat  is  limited,  and  far- 
mers are  compelled  to  rely  more  upon  incidental  products  like 
wool  and  mohair,  which  can  be  easily  transported  to  market. 
But,  matters  in  this  country,  respecting  the  Angora  goat,  I  am 
pleased  to  say  have  changed  very  materially  within  the  past  few 
vears,  and  it  is  now  possible  to  sell  these  animals  in  any  quan- 
tity, at  any  of  our  large  meat  packing  markets  as  readily 
as  sheep.  Besides  this  an  unexpected  demand  has  recently 
sprung  up  from  Northern  and  Eastern  farmers  who  want  to  use 
the  animal  as  a  brush  exterminator,  which  will  call  for  more 
goats  than  we  can  supply  in  many  years  to  come ;    and  if  all 


ii6  A  Nczv  Industry. 

signs  do  not  fail  we  shall  soon  begin  to  show  our  South  Afri- 
can friends,  and  others,  the  way  Americans  can  develop  an  in- 
dustry when  all  their  disabilities  have  been  removed,  and  they 
make  up  their  minds  to  go  to  work.  As  for  the  breeders  who 
sell  "full-bloods"  for  pure  breeds,  these  will  soon  be  found  out 
and  will  disappear  from  the  field,  as  all  frauds  have  ,had  to  do 
in  the  past.* 


'"It  is  perhaps  proper  for  me  to  say  that,  I  do  not  share  the  opinion 
that,  all  breeders,  who  sell  graded  goats  for  breeding  purposes,  are  nec- 
essarily rascals,  or  frauds.  I  do  not  think  it  possible  to  trace  the  lineage 
of  any  goat  either  in  America,  South  Africa,  or  Turkey,  to  an  absolutely 
pure-blooded  sire  and  consequently  it  is  impossible  for  a  breeder  to 
know  if  his  goats  are  "pure  bred,"  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term,  or  not. 
Tlie  Turks  have  interbred  with  common  goats  for  many  years,  and  so 
have  South  Africa  breeders,  as  well  as  ourselves.  What  I  should  have 
said,  perhaps,  is  that,  all  who  sell  grades,  that,  thcij  'know  are  grades, 
having  onJij  the  apijearance  of  pure-hred  gouts,  without  the  strength 
of  blood  to  transinil,  and  impress  their  progeny,  as  they  should,  will 
soon  be  found  out  in  their  rascally  practice  and  disappear  from  the  field. 
I  believe  we  have  many  "Angoras"  that  have  been  graded  up  from  the 
common  goat  that,  have  greater  power  to  transmit  mohair  blood,  than 
many  goats  bred  in  Turkey,  and  entitled  to  the  proud  title  "thorough- 
bred." Blood  will  tell,  and,  I  think,  it  has  been  the  experience  of  all 
breeders  of  stock,  in  the  past  that  when  an  animal  has  been  bred  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  so  as  to  thoroughly  fix  his  type,  he  can  be  re- 
lied upon  to  reproduce  his  kind  with  absolute  certainty,  but,  I  shall  say 
more  on  this  subject,  when  I  get  to  the  "Practical  Parts  of  the  Indus- 
try." 


CHAPTER  X. 


CONCEtiNING    THE    MANUFACTURE    OF    MOHAIR    IN    ASIA    MINOR, 
ENGLAND,    AND   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

IN  ASIA  MINOR.  Although  goat  hair  has  been  used  for 
clothing  by  many  of  the  Eastern  Nations  for  a  great  many  cen- 
turies, it  is,  comparatively,  a  new  textile  in  the  manufactures  of 
the  present  age. 

It  is  referred  to  as  early  as  1600  B.  C.  In  Exodus,  xxxv, 
chapter,  23,  verse,  we  read : 

"And  every  man  with  whom  was  found  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet 
and  fine  Hnen,  and  goat's  hair  brought  them." 

Again  in  Exodtis,  xxxvi  chapter,  llth  verse  : 

"And  he  made  curtains  of  goat's  hair  for  the  tent  over  the  tabernacle 
eleven  curtains  he  made  them." 

Mention  is  made  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible,  of  fine  linen 
and  "goat's  hair"  being  spun  by  the  women,  which  leaves  no 
doubt  that  the  ancients  had  learned  a  way  of  utilizing  this  fibre 
at  a  very  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  Turks,  in  Asia  Minor,  at  one  time  employed  as  many 
as  1200  looms  in  working  up  the  fleece  of  the  Angora  goat, 
which  was  called  by  them  ''tiftik."  It  was  not  allowed  t.o  be  ex- 
ported in  a  raw  state,  in  order  to  give  employment  to  many  of 
the  laboring  classes  of  that  country,  through  whose  hands  the 
fibre  had  to  pass  in  order  to  prepare  it  for  the  loom.  As  may 
well  be  supposed  their  methods  were  very  primitive,  and  it  is 
surprising  to  read  of  the  beautiful  fabrics  that  these  ancient  peo- 
ple made  with  their  crude  machinery.     An  English  traveller,  by 


ii8  A  New  Industry. 

the  name  of  Capt.  Conelly,  referred  to  by  Mr.  Southey  in  his 
work  on  "Colonial  Wools,"  gives  a  very  interesting  description 
of  the  manner  in  which  this  "fiffik"  is  manipulated.  Capt. 
Conelly  says : 

"The  women  of  Angora  moisten  their  carded  goat's  hair  with  much 
spittle  before  they  draw  it  from  the  distafif,  and  they  assert  that  the  qual- 
ity of  the  thread  much  depends  upon  this;  nay,  more,  that  in  the  melon 
season  their  yarn  is  incomparably  better,  as  eating  this  fruit  imparts  a 
mucilagenous  quality  to  the  saliva." 

The  spinning  of  the  thread  is  performed  by  men  on  a  loom 
which  is  descibed  by  the  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  in  a  report  made 
to  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  as  follows  : 

"The  fleece  is  first  taken  to  a  running  stream,  where  it  is  washed  by 
hand  and  tramped  under  foot  in  the  water.  It  is  then  spread  upon  the 
sand  to  dry  and  bleach,  after  which  it  is  assorted  according  to  fineness, 
length,  and  purity.  It  is  then  hackled  on  a  simple  old-fashioned  hackle 
consisting  of  a  few  dozen  long  iron  nails  driven  through  a  board.  After 
hackling,  the  fleece  is  placed  in  bundles  or  rolls  and  spun  into  yarn,  mostly 
by  the  women  and  children.  For  this  purpose  a  common  distaf?  is  used, 
or  a  stick  from  12  to  18  inches  in  length,  with  cross  pieces,  rendering  it 
about  equivalent  to  a  large  spool.  It  is  then  ready  for  the  loom.  This 
instrument  in  Angora  is  of  the  simplest  and  rudest  construction,  and  of  the 
same  unvarying  type,  that  has  been  used  by  countless  generations.  Asia- 
tic industry  is  frugal  in  labor-saving  processes;  when  once  machinery 
is  firought  to  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  as  to  render  it  barely  possible  for 
an  unlimited  amount  of  labor  to  supplement  and  supply  its  deficiencies, 
no  further  improvement  is  made.  Men  then  subject  themselves,  their 
minds  and  muscles,  to  a  training  which  makes  them  almost  a  part  of 
the  machines  they  operate.  Caucasian  mind  seeks  to  emancipate  itself 
from  all  unecessary  labor  by  transferring  it  to  machinery,  thus  leaving  the 
mental  faculties  free  for  intellectual  labor.  Each  of  its  tasks  it  devolves 
successively  upon  inanimate  matter,  while  it  continually  ascends  to  high- 
er results.  But  this  function  of  intelligence  seems  to  be  entirely  ignored 
by  Asiatic  mind,  and  Asiatic  ?rt. 

"The  Angora  loom,  of  which  engravings  are  presented,  consists  of 
two  upright  posts,  from  four  to  si.x  feet  ,ipart,  planted  in  the  ground  and 
running  up  through  the  floor  (if  there  is  one)  to  the  roof  of  the  house. 
Near  the  top  of  these  posts  a  cross  bar  is  rudely  fastened,  often  with 
ropes,  from  which  the  simple  weaving  apparatus  is  suspended  by  pulleys 
and  worked  by  treadles.  These  are  located  beneath  the  level  of  the  floor, 
on  the  edge  of  -which  the  weaver  is  sealed.     The   woven  cloth,   passing 


Concerning  the  Manufaciiirc  of  Mohair.  121 

round  a  roller  in  front  of  the  weaver,  is  then  drawn  by  weights  over 
another  roller  above  his  head.  These  looms  cost  from  $5.00  to  $25.00, 
some  of  them  being  ornamented  with  rude  carving. 

"The  ordinary  expense  of  a  loom  is  given  at  $20.00  per  month.  A 
number  of  these  looms  are  strung  along  the  sides  of  the  house,  some 
houses  containing  as  many  as  twenty  looms."  See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report 
1867,  page  229. 

Dr.  Hayes  says : 

"The  natives  displayed  great  skill  in  making  gloves,  hosiery,  and  cam- 
lets, for  exportation,  and  summer  robes  of  great  beauty,  for  the  Turkish 
grandees.  The  town  of  Angora  flourished,  and  the  whole  population  was 
busy  and  happy  in  the  pursuit  of  their  beautiful  industry. 

"After  the  Greek  Revolution  the  Turkish  government  was  tempted 
by  British  influence  to  admit  free  of  duty,  the  products  of  European  ma- 
chinery and  to  permit  the  export  of  the  raw  'tiftik.'  This  fatal  step  was 
the  death  blow  of  the  town  of  Angora. 

"The  whole  product  with  the  exception  of  20,000  pounds  only,  still 
worked  at  home,  was  exported  to  England.  The  looms  employed  were 
reduced  from  1200,  to  not  more  than  50;  and  the  town,  although  having  at 
its  command  the  raw  material  for  a  most  important  and  characteristic 
manufacture,  ofifers.  in  its  sad  decline,  another  monument  to  the  desolating 
influence  of  that  system  which  would  make  the  raw  material  of  every 
country  tributary  to  the  one  great  work-shop  of  the  world."  See  Hayes, 
page  33. 

When  we  consider  the  fact  that  the  Turks  are  now  enjoy- 
ing benefits  from  a  much  greater  number  of  goats  than  they 
would,  probably,  have  ever  had  any  use  for  under  their  primitive 
way  of  weaving  mohair,  it  seems  to  me  Dr.  Hayes  was  hardly 
justified  in  making  the  above  statement.  My  personal  opinion 
is,  the  entire  world  has  been  largely  benefited  through  the  enter- 
prise of  English  capital,  and  are  today  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
privilege  of  using  fabrics  made  from  this  valuable  textile,  which 
would  not  be  the  case  if  Sir  Titus  Salt  had  not  invented  proper 
machinery. 

IN  ENGLAND.  Mohair  was  first  shipped  to  England  in 
a  raw  state  in  1820.  In  that  year  a  few  bales  came  to  that  market 
but  so  little  was  the  material  appreciated  that  it  only  real- 
ized lOd  per  lb.  (see  Vol.  XVI,  Encvclopedia  Britannica,  page 
5-14.) 


132  A  Nciv  Industry. 

It  was  fifteen  or  twenty  years  later,  before  any  decideil  in- 
terest was  taken  in  the  fibre,  or  about  1836,  when  Mr.  (after- 
wards "Sir")  Titus  Salt,  a  wool  broker  and  manufacturer  in 
Bradford,  purchased  a  quantity  of  Alpaca  in  Liverpool  at  8d 
per  lb.  and  set  himself  to  discover  its  capabilities  (see  \^ol.  I, 
page  5!)S.  Encyclopedia  Britannica.)  Dr.  Hayes  quotes  from 
"James'  History  of  the  Worsted  Manufacturer,"  the  following 
very  interesting  account  of  the  matter  : 

"The  first  marketable  fabric  from  alpaca  wool  produced  in  Europe 
was  made  about  183:2  by  Benjamin  Outram,  a  scientific  manufacturer  of 
Greetland,  near  Halifax,  England,  who  surmounted  the  obstacles  en- 
countered in  spinning  the  slippery  fibre  and  eventually  produced  an  article 
for  ladies' carriage  shawls  and  cloakings  which  were  sold  at  high  prices  on 
account  of  the' novelty  of  the  fabrics.  Owing  to  the  cheapness  of  the 
wool  during  the  first  years  of  its  consumption,  about  eight  pence,  it 
was  occasionly  employed,  instead  of  'Lincoln  hogs'  wool  for  manufac- 
turing lastings  and  camlet  warps.  In  1832  some  enterprising  merchants 
in  Liverpool  directed  their  agents  in  Peru  to  purchase,  and  ship  to  Eng- 
land all  the  parcels  of  alpaca  wool  they  could  meet  with,  which  being 
sent  to  the  Bradford  district  was  spun  and  manufactured  by  several  parties 
there.  The  pieces  chiefly  made  were  figured  goods  with  a  worsted  warp, 
and  alpaca  weft,  the  figures  being  raised  and  lustrous.  They  did  not  re- 
main long  in  vogue.  The  use  of  alpaca  wool  with  the  worsted  warp,  the 
only  combination  hitherto  tried,  would  doubtless  have  declined,  like  that 
of  other  mere  novelties  in  the  textile  manufacture,  if  a  new  combmntion 
of  alpaca  wool  had  not  been  suggested  by  the  introduction  of  the  cotton 
warp  from  France  into  England  in  1834,  the  most  important  event  of  the 
century  in  the  worsted  industry  of  the  world.  The  credit  of  combining 
the  cotton  warp  with  an  alpaca  weft,  and  of  finally  overcoming  the  dif- 
ficulties of  preparing  and  spinning  the  alpaca  wool,  is  awarded,  by  com- 
mon consent,  to  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  Titus  Salt,  who  in  1839  was  the 
only  spinner  of  alpaca  yarn  in  Bradford.  The  first  successful  manufacture 
v/as  in  the  production  of  what  was  termed  'Alpaca  Orlea.is,'  and  the  first 
considerable  order  was  in  June,  1839,  for  five  hundred  and  sixty  pieces, 
twenty-seven  inches  wide  at  forty-two  shillings  per  piece.  From  this  per- 
iod the  manufacture  rapidly  extended,  giving  rise  to  the  magnificent 
establishment  of  Sir  Titus  Salt  at  Saltaire,  employing  over  3,000  hands  in 
the  manufacture  of  alpaca  and  mohair  goods  exclusively,  nearly  doubling 
the  price  of  English  lustre  wools  which  were  employed  in  making  imi- 
tation alpacas,  developing  in  Bradford  tht  most  characteristic  and  impor- 
tant of  its  industries,  and  giving,  in  the  black  alpaca  lustres,  and  its  imi- 
tations, with  wool  from  Lincoln  sheep,  the  most  valuable  fabric  which 
has  been  created  for  fertiale  wear  during  the  present  century."  See  Hayes 
cages  153  and  154. 


Concerning  the  ManufacUirc  of  Mohair.  123 

The  quantity  of  alpaca  imported  into  England  from  1836 
to  ISrtO  averaged  only  560,800  pounds  yearly.  (See  Ency- 
clopedia Britannica,  Vol.  I,  p.  598.)  The  character  of  this 
fibre  being-  very  similar  to  the  fleece  of  the  Angora  goat  in  length, 
lustre,  and  fineness.  Sir  Titus  naturally  looked  to  Asia  Minor 
for  their  supply  of  mohair,  and  even  with  the  addition  of  this 
product,  which  in  1836  (the  first  record  of  imports  into  England) 
reached  680,000  pounds,  he  did  not  have  a  sufficient  supply  of 
raw  material  to  meet  the  demand  for  his  manufactured  fabrics, 
and  it  was  this  that  encouraged  the  culture  of  the  Angora  goat  in 
other  countries.  The  supply  of  alpaca  it  would  seem  is  limited 
to  Peru.  It  has  been  nearly  uniform  for  many  years,  and  is  es- 
timated to  be  about  5,000,000  lbs.  per  annum,  at  this  time,  with 
very  little  probability  of  its  ever  being  increased  very  largely. 

Stimulated  by  the  increased  demand  for  mohair,  which  ad- 
vanced very  steadily  from  about  20c  per  lb.  in  1836,  to  90c  in 
1863,  the  Turks  rapidly  increased  their  number  of  Mohair  goats 
by  crossing  on  the  common  ("Kurd")  goat  of  their  country, 
and  with  the  successful  culture  of  the  animal  in  South  Africa, 
the  supply  of  raw  material  increased  quite  as  fast  as  was  neces- 
sary, the  annual  product  of  both  kinds  (Alpaca  and  Mohair)  be- 
ing estimated  now  at  25,000,000  lbs. 

In  1853,  Sir  Titus  Salt  erected  in  Bradford,  England,  the 
largest  Mohair  mill  in  the  world,  which  practically  gave  him  the 
control  of  the  trade,  of  which  he  continued  to  be  the  head  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death  which  took  place  in  1876.  This  great  es- 
tablishment received  its  first  check  in  prosperity  with  the  intro- 
duction of  the  fine  all-wool  French  Cashmere  goods,  which  fin- 
ally caused  the  firm  of  Sir  Titus  Salt,  Bart  &  Co.  to  suspend  in 
1880  (see  Bulletin  Natl.  Ass.  Wool  Mfr.  Dec.  1895,  page  320). 

A  statue  of  Sir  Titus  Salt  was  erected  in  Bradford,  in  honor 
of  the  man,  and  as  a  slight  recognition  of  the  great  service  he 
had  rendered  the  world,  and  the  direct  benefit  he  had  been  to 
his  own  home,  during  an  active  life  of  more  than  half  a  century. 

IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.  The  United  States  was 
slow  in  taking  hold  of  this  new  textile,  and  it  was  not  until  a 


7.?^  A  A^civ  Liditsti  y. 

quarter  of  a  century  after  it  had  been  introduced  into  England 
that  any  attempt  was  made  by  American  manufacturers  to  use 
it.  In  Mr.  Diehl's  very  interesting  paper  on  "The  Goat,"  pub- 
Hshed  in  the  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  of  1803,  he  says: 

"Machinery  is  now  being  erected,  and  perfected  by  the  Lowell.  Pa- 
cific, and  other  mills,  to  work  up  this  fleece,  and  manufacture  the  finest 
fabrics,  thus  only  awaiting  the  wools  adapted  and  establishing  a  mar- 
ket."    See  U.  S.  Agtl.  Report  1863,  page  '229. 

It  would  seem  however  that  these  mills  did  not  accomplisli 
very  much.  In  186G,  under  the  administration  of  President 
Johnson,  the  Hon.  Isaac  Newton,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture, 
called  attention  to  the  matter  in  his  report  for  that  year,  as  fol- 
lows : 

"Two  mounted  specimens  of  the  Angora  goat  have  been  added  to 
the  museum,  together  with  samples  of  the  wool,  and  various  fabrics  made 
from  the  same.  The  importation  and  breeding  of  these  animals  have  at- 
tracted much  attention  in  certain  sections  of  the  country;  their  fleeces 
command  a  high  price  and  the  value  of  their  manufactures  would  seem 
to  warrant  the  encouraging  attention  of  the  Department."  vSee  Report  of 
Agtl.   18i;i;,  page  11. 

It  had  been  represented  for  a  long  time  by  those  inter- 
ested in  England,  that  the  process  of  manuacturing  mohair  was 
very  expensive,  and  that  its  manipulation  was  known  only  to  a 
very  few,  but  these  representations  were  found  to  be  false,  and 
were  doubtless  circulated  to  discour?ge  other  countries  from  en- 
gaging in  the  business.  In  18GG  the  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  was 
commissioned  by  the  United  States  .A-gricultural  Department  to 
visit  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  the  matter,  and, 
if  possible,  to  secure  such  information  and  particulars  as  would 
enable  the  manufacturers  of  this  country  to  make  use  of  the 
Angora  goat  fleece.  He  saw  at  the  exhibition  in  Paris,  a  great 
variety  of  machinery  for  carding,  scrubbing,  spinning  and  weav- 
ing the  fibre  which  was  claimed  to  have  been  made  largely  in 
Bradford,  England,  and  Roubeaux,  France,  and  in  his  report  to 
the  Agricultural  Department  in  18G7,  he  gave  a  full  description 
of  these  machines  together  with  the  names  of  manufacturers,  etc. 


Concerning  the  Manufaclurc  of  Mohair.  125 

Commissioner  Newton  adds  the  following  with  reference  to 
Mr.  Diehl's  work : 

"Mr.  Diehl  visited  the  Paris  Exposition,  where  he  directed  his  at- 
tention to  the  fabrics  of  various  kinds  of  goat  fleece.  He  was  astonished 
and  delighted  at  the  extent,  variety,  delicacy  and  exquisite  beauty  of  the 
specimens  contributed  by  the  looms  of  Asia  Minor,  India,  France,  Eng- 
land, Germany,  and  other  countries  represented  in  this  department  of 
the  Exposition.  These  manufactures  consisted  of  shawls,  camlets,  chal- 
lis,  mohairs,  poplins,  velvets,  delaines,  hosiery,  yarns,  gowns,  robes, 
rugs,  fur  trimmings,  tassels,  etc.  Some  of  them  were  made,of  pure  goats' 
fleece,  and  others,  of  the  fleece  mixed  with  wool,  cottons,  silks,  and  other 
fibres,  imparting  to  these  compounds  a  lustre,  strength,  and  durability, 
which  no  other  fibre,  except  silk,  will  secure.  Nearly  every  nation  rep- 
resented at  the  Exposition  presented  some  beautiful  manufactures  of  goats' 
fleece.  India,  England,  France,  and  Austria,  seemed  to  excel  in  the  more 
delicate  fabrics,  while  Turkey  exhibited  the  greatest  variety  and  richness 
of  the  raw  material."     See  Agtl.   Dept.   Report,   1876,  p.  I-IQ. 

And  in  conclusion  he  says : 

'"The  manufacture  of  'Cashmere,'  camels'  hair'  and  other  shawls, 
once  so  flourishing  in  Asia,  is  greatly  impaired,  and,  in  many  places, 
entirely  discontinued.  But  few  of  the  once  famous  Cashmere  shawls 
have  been  manufactured  since  the  rise  of  the  fatal  competition  of  Lyons, 
Paris,  Paisley,  Vienna,  and  other  manufacturing  centers  in  Europe.  Cau- 
causian  capital  and  skill,  aided  by  the  elaborate  contrivances  of  machinery, 
can  now  produce,  at  much  lower  prices,  fabrics  as  delicate,  and  beautiful, 
as  the  famous  Cashmere  shawls,  though,  doubtless,  not  so  durable.  The 
immediate  introduction  of  this  shawl  weaving  into  the  United  States  is 
perhaps  impracticable,  though  its  final  success  here  is  but  a  question  of 
time.  The  obstacles  to  be  overcome  are  lack  of  skilled  labor,  of  machin- 
ery, and  of  active  home  demand  for  fabrics  of  goat  fleece. 

"None  of  these,  however,  are  very  formidable.  Sufficient  labor  and 
machinery  can  be  imported  to  meet  present  necessities,  while  the  ready 
intelligence  of  our  workingmen  and  the  profound  and  subtle  genius  of 
our  inventors  may  be  relied  upon  to  surpass,  very  soon,  our  imported 
models. 

"The  increasing  taste  and  luxury  fostered  by  the  rapidly  accumulat- 
ing wealth  of  the  American  people,  and  the  enormous  reduction  in  the 
cost  of  manufacturing  this  beautiful  staple  from  the  fancy  prices  hitherto 
commanded  by  Oriental  manufacture,  will  soon  create  a  permanent  home 
demand.  This  will  give  a  comfortable  support  to  a  large  industrial  pop- 
ulation, and  assist  in  arresting  the  increasing  drain  upon  our  circulating 
medium,  caused  by  large  importations  of  manufactures  of  wool,  cotton, 
silk,  and  flax,  a  matter  of  no  small  importance  in  the  present  financial 
condition  of  the  country.  '     See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  1867,  page  230. 


126  A  Ncic  Induslry. 

Throug-h  the  influence  of  this  information  quite  a  number 
of  American  manufacturers  decided  to  import  machinery  for  the 
purpose  of  manufacturing  Mohair,  and  the  use  of  it  has  steadily 
increased  ever  since,  and  is  constantly  being-  applied  in  making 
new  fabrics  which  are  always  attractive  and  popular.  Referring 
to  the  "Application  of  Products"  in  1868,  Dr.  Hayes  says : 

"It  has  been  already  stated  that  mohair  is  not  a  substitute  for  wool, 
but  that  it  occupies  its  own  place  in  the  textile  fabrics.  It  has  the  as- 
pect, feel  and  lustre  of  silk,  without  its  suppleness.  It  dififers  materially 
from  wool  in  the  want  of  the  felting  quality,  so  that  the  stufTs  made  of  it 
have  the  fibres  distinctly  separated  and  are  always  brilliant.  They  do  not 
retain  the  dust  or  spots,  and  are  thus  particularly  valuable  for  furniture 
goods.  The  fibre  is  dyed  with  great  facility,  and  is  th^  only  textile  fibre 
which  takes  equally  the  dyes  destined  for  all  tissues.  On  account  of  the 
stiffness  of  the  fibre  it  is  rarely  woven  alone;  that  is,  when  used  for  the  fill- 
ing, the  warp  is  usually  of  cotton,  silk  or  wool,  and  the  reverse.  It  is  not 
desirea  for  its  softness  in  addition  to  silkincss,  such  qualities  as  are  found 
in  Cashmere  and  Mauchamp  wool;  but  for  the  elasticity,  lustre, 
and  durability  of  the  fibre  with  sufficient  fineness  to  enable  it  to  be 
spun.  Those  who  remember  the  fashions  of  thirty  or  forty  years  ago 
may  call  to  mind  the  camlets  so  extensively  used  for  cloaks  and  other 
outer  garments,  and  will  doubtless  remember  that  some  were  distinguished 
for  their  peculiar  lustre  and  durability,  which  was  generally  attributed 
to  the  presence  of  silk  in  the  tissue.  These  camlets  were  woven  from  mo- 
hair. Its  lustre  and  durability  peculiarly  fit  this  material  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  braids,  buttons,  and  bindings,  which  greatly  outwear  tbos^  of 
silk  and  wool.  The  qualities  of  lustre  and  elasticity  particularly  fit  this 
material  for  its  chief  use,  the  manufacture  of  Utrecht  velvets,  commonly 
called  furniture  plush,  the  finest  qualities  of  which  are  composed  princi- 
pally of  mohair;  the  pile  being  formed  of  mohair  warp,  which  are  cut 
in  t'  e  same  manner  as  s  Ik  warps  in  velvets.  Upon  passng  the  fnger  light- 
ly over  the  surface  of  the  best  mohair  plushes,  the  rigidity  and  elasticity  of 
the  fibre  will  be  distinctly  perceived.  The  fibre  springs  back  to  its  original 
uprightness  when  any  pressure  is  removed.  The  best  mohair  plushes  are  al- 
most indestructible.  They  have  been  in  constant  use  on  certain  railroad  cars 
in  the  country  for  over  twenty  years  without  wearing  out.  They  are  now 
sought  by  all  the  best  railroads  in  the  country  as  the  most  enduring  of  all 
coverings,  an  unconscious  tribute  to  the  remarkable  qualities  of  this 
fibre.  The  manufacture  of  Utrecht  velvets  at  Amiens,  in  France,  con- 
sumes 500,000  pounds  of  mohair,  which  is  spun  in  England.  10,000  work- 
men were  employed  in  weaving  these  goods  at  Amiens,  in  18oo,  the  pro- 
duct being  principally  sent  to  the  United  States.  The  mohair  plushes  are 
made  of  yarns  from  No.  26  to  No.  70;  the  tissues  made  of  the  former  num- 


Concerning  ihc  Manufacitirc  of  Mohair.  127 

ber.  are  worth  four  francs  per  metre,  and  of  the  latter  ten  francs  per  metre, 
showing  the  importance  of  preserving  the  fineness  of  the  fleece.  A  med- 
ium article  is  made  extensively  in  Prussia,  of  yarns  spun  from  an  admix- 
ture of  mohair  with  combing  wool;  but  it  is  wanting  in  the  evenness  of 
surface  and  brilliant  reflections,  or  bloom,  of  the  French  goods.  Mohair 
yarn  is  employed  largely  in  Paris,  Nismes,  Lyons,  and  Germany,  for  the 
manufacture  of  laces,  which  are  substituted  for  the  silk-lace  fabrics  of 
Valenciennes  and  Chantilly.  The  shawls  frequently  spoken  of  as  made 
of  Angora  wool  are  of  a  lace  texture,  and  do  not  correspond  to  the  Cash- 
mere, or  Indian  shawls.  The  shawls  known  as  Llama  shawls  are  made  of 
mohair.  I  have  seen  one  at  Stewarts'  wholesale  establishment,  valued 
at  $80.00,  weighing  only  two  and  one-third  ounces.  Mohair  is  also  large- 
ly consumed  at  Bradford,  in  England,  in  the  fabrication  of  light  summer 
goods.  They  are  woven  with  warps  of  silk  and  cotton,  principally  the 
latter,  and  the  development  of  this  manufacture  is  due  principally  to  the 
improvements  in  making  fine  cotton  warps  the  combination  of  wool  with 
mohair  not  being  found  advantageous.  These  goods  are  distinguished 
by  their  lustre,  and  by  the  rigidity  of  the  fabric.  All  the  mohair  yarns 
used  in  Europe  are  spun  in  England,  the  English  having  broken  down,  by 
temporary  reduction  of  prices,  all  attempts  at  spinning  in  France.  Suc- 
cessful experiments  at  spinning  and  weaving  Angora  fabrics  have  been 
made  in  this  country,  as  shown  by  the  samples  of  yarn  spun  by  A'Ir.  Cam- 
eron, and  the  dress  goods  spun  and  woven  by  Mr.  Fay  of  the  Lowell 
Manufacturing  Co..  from  Angora  wool  grown  by  Mr.  Chenery  of  Bel- 
mont, Mass.  Before  the  demand  for  this  material  for  dress  goods,  and 
plushes,  mohair  was  largely  used  in  Europe,  and  this  country,  for  last- 
ings  for  fine  broadcloths,  the  lustrous  surface  acting  as  a  frame,  in  a 
picture,  to  set  ofif  the  goods.  This  use  is  now  abandoned.  Mohair  is 
now  extensively  used  to  form  the  pile  of  certain  styles  of  plushes  used  for 
ladies'  cloakings;  also  for  the  pile  of  the  b  st  fabrics  style'  Astrachans. 
Narrow  strips  of  the  skin  of  the  Angora,  with  the  fleece  attached,  have  been 
recently  in  fashion  for  trimmings,  and  great  prices  were  obtained  for  a  lim- 
ited number  of  the  pelts  for  this  purpose.  The  skins  with  the  fleece  at- 
tached will  always  bring  high  prices  for  foot  rugs,  on  account  of  their 
peculiar  lustre,  and  the  advantages  they  possess  over  those  made  of  wool, 
in  not  being  liable  to  felt."     (See  Hayes,  pp.  37,  38,  39.) 

And  in  a  siibseqnent  edition  of  iiis  work  in  1882  he  adds  : 

"I  ha\'e  but  little  to  add  to  the  observations  in  my  original  essay  upon 
the  various  applications  of  mohair.  I  have  mentioned  its  application  at 
Bradford  in  the  manufacture  of  light  dress  goods.  I  did  not  mention  the 
far  more  extensive  use  to  which  mohair  until  very  recently  has  been  ap- 
plied, for  more  substantial  fabrics,  which  for  a  time  were  in  great  vogue 
for  ladies'   dress   goods,   called   'brilliantines'    or   'lustres,'   a   black   fabric 


ij8  a  Nczv  Industry. 

of  peculiarly  brilliant  lustre.  Fabrics  of  this  class,  composed  of  mohair, 
made  by  the  Arlington  Mills  of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  and  the  Farr  Alpaca 
Company  of  Holyoke,  Mass..  received  high  commendation  from  the  Eng- 
lish judges  at  our  Centennial  Exhibition.  Through  a  singular  freak  of 
fashion,  more  particularly  referred  to  in  the  appendix,  the  lustre  fabrics 
have  ceased,  temporarily,  to  be  in  demand,  thus  dispensing  with  the  most 
important  use  of  mohair,  and  causing  its  present  reduced  price  at  Brad- 
ford, which  rules  the  prices  for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Another  very  im- 
portant application  of  mohair,  as  affected  by  fashion,  is  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  black  fabrics  for  the  lining  of  men's  garments,  of  the  more  expen- 
sive class.  I  have  a  great-coat  with  a  mohair  lining,  which  has  been  in 
use  for  five  years.  The  cloth  is  worn  out,  but  the  lining,  which  at  first 
glance  would  be  mistaken  for  silk,  does  not  show  the  slightest  trace  of 
wear  or  fraying  in  the  most  exposed  parts.  There  could  be  no  more  con- 
clusive evidence  of  the  ex'-raordinary  wearing  qualities  of  this  fibre,  and 
of  its  adaptation  to  hundreds  of  uses  to  which  it  has  not  yet  been  applied. 
The  English  letter  given  below  shows  that  mohair  is  still  extensively 
used  at  Bradford  for  making  yarns  for  Utrecht  velvets,  generally  called 
in  this  country  'mohair  plush.'  This  fabric  has  of  late  come  into  greatly 
increased  demand,  both  for  furniture  coverings  and  railroad  car  uphol- 
stery, as  it  is  not  only  sightly,  but  the  most  enduring  fabric  produced  by 
the  textile  industry.  The  manufacture  of  Utrecht  velvets  has  not  been 
attempted  in  this  country;  it  waits  only  for  an  abundant  home  supply  of 
mohair.  The  consumption  of  this  fabric  by  the  railroads  of  the  United 
States  alone  would  require  the  mohair  from  many  hundred  thousands  ani- 
mals. Other  applications  of  mohair  would  suggest  themselves  to  manu- 
facturers if  there  were  an  assurance  of  an  abundant  supply  of  raw  material. 
That  but  slight  difficulties  are  to  be  encountered  in  the  manipulation  of 
this  material  is  shown  in  the  following  letter  from  a  practical  English  man- 
ufacturer, whose  modesty  forbids  the  mention  his  name,  but  whose  entire 
reliability  I  can  vouch  for. 

'" ■ ,    England,    Aug.    16th,    1881. 

"'John  L.  If  ayes,  Esq.,  95  State  Street  Boston: 

"  'Dear  Sir — Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  3rd  inst.  is  duly  to  hand.  I 
hasten,  as  a  practical  man  in  the  manipulation  of  mohair,  to  give  you  a 
sketch,  or  short  essay,  on  its  spinning  and  working. 

"  'Its  grozvth,  as  you  well  know,  is  from  two  districts,  or  I  may  state 
three,  viz. : 

1.     Asia    Minor,    about     4,800,000  pounds 

'_'.     The    Cape     1,600,000  pounds 

3.     California 350,000  pounds 

Australia  and  the  rest  of  the  world 25,000  pounds 

Gingeline,  also  Asia  Minor 120,000  pounds 

Van,  also  Asia  Minor 240,000  pounds 

7,135,000 


Concerning  the  Manufacture  of  Mohair.  129 

With  a  chance  of  this  seven  millions  being  doubled  in  a  few  years,  not 
by  the  Turks,  but  by  the  Natalians,  or  South  Africaners,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans, whose  countries  are  endless  for  its  growth.  So  far,  therefore,  as 
to  the  quantity  now  produced. 

"  'Its  manipulation  is  similar  to  the  Lincoln  wether  wool.  It  is  sorted 
into  various  qualities  or  grades,  both  for  color  and  dyeing,  but  these 
may  be  said  to  be  really 

No.  "20,  the  breech,  amounting  to  2         per  cent. 

No.   3'2,    the    next    sort    45       per  cent. 

No.  36,   the   next   sort    27       per  cent. 

No.  40,  the  next  sort    8       per  cent. 

No.  50  and  00,  ihe  next  sort  3.50  per  cent. 

Shorts  and  kempy  pieces    14.50  per  cent. 

100 

"  'As  many  as  twenty-four  sorts  are  sometimes  made,  but  really  about 
nine  sorts  are  enough.  Its  combing  is  simple.  Lister's  machine  is  all 
you  require.  In  order  to  get  your  top  quite  clear  of  kemp,  you  take  what 
is  called  a  milking,  or  backing  noil  out,  and  this  either  recombed  or 
mixed  off  with  the  low  sorts.  To  get  clear  and  good  tops  it  is  necessary 
to  comb  them  twice. 

"  'Its  drawing  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  operation,  as  you  must  have 
a  perfectly  even  and  level  roving  so  as  to  prevent  curl. 

"  'Its  spinning  requires  nothing  more  than  the  ordinary  skill.  Be  sure 
and  avoid  curl.  You  must  have  the  common  flyer.  Cap,  or  ring,  spin- 
ning won't  do;  the  hairs,  or  kemps,  fly  so,  and  make  your  thread  rough. 
Speed  not  more  than  2,500. 

"  'Its  tzvisting  also  must  be  done  on  fly  twisters,  for  the  same  'smooth' 
reasons. 

"  'The  Yarn  and  its  Uses — Tl  e  chief  use  is  for  Utrecht  velvets  and  imi- 
tation seal  skins,  then  braids,  etc.;  in  former  fashions,  alpaca  lustres. 
Yarns  for  Utrecht  velvets,  seals  and  braids  are  all  2-fold,  and 
the  counts  vary  from  2-fold  32's,  to  50's,  for  Utrecht  velvets; 
from  2-fold  18's,  to  60's,  for  imitation  seals;  and  also  single 
I's,  and  2-fold  6's,  for  nigger  heads,  and  astrachans;  from  2-fold 
32's  to  60's  for  braids,  and  also  2-fold  32's  for  'ice  yarn,'  used  for  ladies' 
fingerings, and  single  30's  to  40's  for  alpaca  lustres  and  mohair  glaces. 

"  'So  far,  then,  I  give  you  a  rough  sketch  of  the  sorting,  combing 
drawing,  spinning  and  twisting;  and  for  your  inspection,  send  you  the 
enclosed  list  of  samples,  with  such  remarks  as  may  be  of  interest  to  you. 
Always  at  your  service,  and  thanking  you  for  past  kindnesses, 

"  'I  am,  yours,  faithfully, 

(See  Hayes,  pp.  72,  73  and  74.) '  " 


ISO 


A  New  Industry. 


It  is  estimated  we  have  in  the  United  States  at  the  pres- 
ent time  forty-nine  manufacturers,  who  are  using  mohair,,  dis- 
tributed as  follows : 

In  Connecticut 1  Mill 

In  Maine 11  Mills 

In  Massachusetts 13  Mills 

And  six  woolen  mills  who  use  some  mohair 

at  times  for  dress  goods. 
In  New  Jersey 1   Mill 


In  N( 


York 3  Worsted  Mills 


In  New  York 1   Braid.  Mill 

In  New  York 3  Hatters 


In  P 


ennsylvama 


Mills 


In  Rhode  Island 3   Mills 

In  addition  to  the  above,  are  a  number  of  dross  goods  man- 
ufacturers who  occasionly  use  mohair  either  raw,  or  in  yarn,  to 
mix  with  wool  in  dress  goods  and  fancy  effects,  also  about  a 
dozen  knitters  and  some  cap  manufacturers  who  consume  some. 
The  amount  of  mohair  consumed  by  the  above  mills  is  dif- 
ficult to  learn,  as  a  considerable  amount  passes  through  the 
hands  of  dealers  in  the  interior  and  some  is  shipped  direct  to 
mills  bv  the  grower.  The  following  table  of  imports  is  taken 
from  the  National  Association  of  Wool  Manufacturers'  Bulle- 
tin for  December,  1895,  which  is  now  very  efficiently  edited  by 
Mr.  S.  N.  D.  North,  the  successor  to  Dr.  John  L.  Hayes,  who 
died  in  the  spring  of  1887  : 
Exports  of  Mohatr  to  the  United  States  for  Five  Years. 

Fi'st  (if  Januarv  t-o  Thirty-drst  of  December.  189i)  lo  18H4. 


Packa<?es      Pounds 


During  the  year   1890    1  1,624 

During  the  year  1891    |  8,594 

During  the  year  1892    |  7.117 

During  t!ie  year  1893   |  2,767 

During  the  year  1894    |  4.743 

Also   1st   Jan.    to   30th    Sept..    1895 |  12.297 

.\verage  Exports  per  Annum,  1890  to  1894.1  4,969 


437,319 
1,536,105 
1,166,473 

541,770 

861,123 
2,031,549 

908,558 


£  24,604 
87,577 
67,537 
27,094 
48,229 
130,196 
51,008 


Coiiccniing  the  Mamifaciuvc  of  Mohair.  ISl 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  importations  from  year  to  year 
vary  larg-ely,  which  is  explained  by  the  changes  in  fashions 
for  ladies'  dress  goods.  It  is  safe  to  say  however,  that  the 
annual  consumption  of  mohair  at  the  present  time  (1900)  will 
average  2,000,000  lbs.  of  which  about  1,200,000  lbs.  is  imported 
and  800,000  lbs.  is  produced  in  our  own  country.  Plushes, 
upholstery  goods,  linings  and  buggy  robes,  are  regarded  as 
standard,  and  affords  a  regular  demand,  for  a  very  considerable 
amount  of  the  product,  which  is  steadily  increasing. 

In  1883  Dr.  Hayes  estimated  that  562,000  lbs.  of  mohair  was 
required  annually  for  making  plush  for  the  covering  of  railroad 
car  seats  alone ;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  750,000  lbs.  of  this  fab- 
ric are  consumed  for  this  purpose  at  the  present  time  (1900)  if 
not  more.  In  addition  to  this,  upholsters  goods,  linings  and 
buggy  robes  call  for  fully  as  much  more,  which  lepresents  1,500,- 
000  lbs.  of  this  material,  taken  for  standard  goods,  consumed  in 
the  United  States  alone. 

Other  countries  will  soon  learn  of  the  lasting  qualities  of 
this  fibre,  and  it  is  very  reasonable  to  believe  that  a  large  export 
trade  will  spring  up  for  American  manufactures  of  mohair  as 
soon  as  our  supply  of  raw  material  will  justify  it.  Besides  this, 
a  great  variety  of  other  goods  will  be  made,  such  as  hosiery,  knit 
underwear,  etc.,  which  will  constantly  increase  the  demand  from 
manufacturers,  and  if  a  proper  tariff  is  maintained  that  will  en- 
courage American  farmers  to  engage  in  raising  the  Angora  goat, 
there  is  little  doubt  but  we  will  soon  be  enjoying  a  very  great 
benefit  from  this  new  industrv. 


PLATE  XXXVII 


DUG-OUT. 
Often  used  in  place  of  tents,  for  sbepheids,  in  permanent  camps. 


Coinmercial     FeoLtvires 

of    the 

Indvistry. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WHERE    TO    SELL    MOHAIR,    AND    HOW    IT    IS    GRADED. 

I  do  not  think  I  exaggerate  when  I  say  that,  not  one  mer- 
chant, in  one  thousand,  has  ever  seen  a  bag  of  mohair,  and  not 
one,  in  fifty  thousand,  has  any  knowledge  of  the  grades  of  it, 
how  it  is  manipulated,  or  where  it  can  be  sold.  A  commission 
merchant,  unless  he  makes  a  specialty  of  some  certain  product, 
will  receive  anything  on  earth  upon  consignment,  from  a  bushel 
of  wheat  to  a  steam  locomotive,  but  it  does  not  necessarily  fol- 
low that  he  is  competent  to  handle  the  same.  I  recall  a  circum- 
stance of  this  nature,  during  my  residence  in  St.  Louis.  It  was 
in  the  year  1874  that  a  commission  merchant  received  several 
large  bags  of  Angora  goat  hair  from  one  of  his  constituents, 
which  he  had  offered  for  sale  to  every  one  he  could  think  of, 
but  to  no  purpose.  No  one  seemed  to  know  what  it  was,  and  it 
remained  in  store  year  after  year,  and  was  finally  disposed  of 
for  a  pittance,  as  filling  for  mattresses,  or  something  of  the  kind. 
I  remember,  distinctly,  seeing  the  stufif,  but  at  that  time  I  did 
not  know  anything  about  mohair,  and  I  only  make  mention  of 
the  matter  now,  to  show  how  important  it  is  for  a  producer  to 
select  a  competent  representative  to  sell  his  products  through. 

During  the  time  this  mohair  was  lying  in  a  warehouse  in 
St.  Louis,  the  market  value  of  it  in  England  ranged  between 
70c  and  90c  a  pound  and  the  manufacturers  in  that  country 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  bought  it  at  that  high  price.  There 
was  little  or  no  demand  for  it  in  this  country,  but  if  it  had  been 
consigned  to  a  proper  market,  and  to  a  mohair  merchant,  he 
would  have  shipped  it  to  England,  and  have  reaUzed  a  proper 
value  for  it. 


/j?(5  A  Nctv  Industry. 

A  great  many  owners  of  small  flocks  sell  their  clips,  even  at 
this  late  clay,  either  to  some  speculator  in  the  interior,  or  to 
their  local  merchant,  and,  as  a  rule,  receive  a  very  small  sum  for 
it.  I  have  heard  of  mohair  selling  in  this  way  for  17c  per  pound 
in  Texas,  when  1  received  30c  to  33c  for  a  like  kind  through  my 
selling  agents  in  New  York. 

Tho  value  of  mohair  is  largely  governed  by  the  caprice  of 
fashion.  If  the  fashion  for  ladies'  dress  favors  "lustre  goods," 
mohair  is  in  greater  demand  and  prices  advance  considerably. 
If  fashion  does  not  favor  this  class  of  goods,  the  trade  is  con- 
fined to  standard  articles,  such  as  plush,  upholsteries,  linings,  etc. 
for  which  there  is  always  a  demand  at  a  more  or  less  uniform 
price.  The  experience  of  many  years  in  England  has  established 
the  fact  that  "^oc  to  30c  per  pound  is  as  low  as  good  mohair 
v/ill  decline  to,  under  most  adverse  conditions ;  and,  at  this 
price,  with  well  improved  goats,  the  profit  in  raising  them  is 
very  satisfactory. 

Liverpool,  London,  and  Bradford,  England,  are  the  great 
central  markets  of  the  world  for  this  product.  The  entire  out- 
pui  of  Turkey  and  South  Africa  is  sent  there  for  sale,  and  it  is 
then  distributed  to  manufacturers  in  this  country  and  Europe. 
Tlirough  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Th-omas  &  Cook,  I  append  a 
list  of  imports  into  England,  from  the  very  incipiency  of  the 
trade.  These  gentlemen  appear  to  have  been  connected  with 
ll:e  business  from  the  very  beginning  and  shared  liberally  in 
llie  spirit  of  enterprise  which  extended  the  growth  of  this  val- 
uable fibre  into  South  Africa.  Indeed,  Mr.  Cook  was  named  by 
Sir  Titus  Salt  as  the  selling  agent  of  all  the  mohair  that  was  to 
be  produced  from  one  of  the  first  flocks  of  goats  that  was  sent 
to  that  country  in  1857,  and  from  that  day  to  the  present  time, 
his  firm  has  l)een  closely,  and  prominently,  identified  with  the 
trade. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  annual  imports  of  mohair  into 
England  from  Turkey  since  the  year  183G;  and,  from  South  Af- 
rica, since  the  vear   I860 : 


Where  to  sell  Mohair,  and  hozv  it  is  Graded. 


137 


IMPORTS  OF  MOHAIR  INTO  ENGLAND  FROM  TURKEY. 


1836 

680,000 

1 

1857 

2,826,000 

1878 

4,641,000 

1837 

400,000 

1858 

3,212,000 

1879 

5.831,000 

1838 

995,000 

1859 

2,160,000 

1880 

8,245,000 

1839 

1,250,000 

1860 

2,016,000 

1881 

4,221.780 

1840 

1.300,000 

1861 

2,800,000 

1882 

9.065.250 

1841 

781,000 

1862 

3.186,000 

1883 

7,256,960 

1843 

677,000 

1863 

1,985,000 

1884 

9,019,860 

1843 

575,523 

1864 

3,450,000 

1885 

6,373.640 

1844 

1,290,771 

1865 

5.000,000 

1886 

9.825.320 

1845 

1,013,000 

!  1866 

3,960.000 

1887 

5.612,550 

1846 

1,287,320 

1867 

1.080,000 

1888 

7,509.070 

1847 

1,219,000 

1868 

6.714,000 

1889 

8,844,080 

1848 

2,101,000 

1869 

4.103,000 

1890 

4.120,220 

1849 

2,387,000 

i  1870 

2.340,000 

1891 

6,495,115 

1850 

2,019,000 

1871 

7.488,000 

1892 

8.774,541 

1851 

2,122,000 

1872 

5.501.000 

1893 

8,005,887 

1852 

1.918,000 

1873 

7,666,000 

1894 

6.889,165 

1853 

2,916,509 

1874 

7.992.000 

1895 

11,900,000 

1854 

1,178,560 

1875 

5.321.000 

1896 

4.900,000 

1855 

2,520.000 

i  1876 

4.430,000 

1897 

10,700,000 

1856 

2,430,000 

1877 

5.984,000 

1898 

10,200,000 

IMPORTS  OF  MOHAIR  INTO  ENGLAND  FROM  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


1860 

385 

1873 

765.700 

1886  • 

5.420,000 

1861 

784 

1871 

1.030,000 

1887 

7,153,000 

1862 

1.030 

1875 

1.150,000 

1888 

9.598,000 

1863 

1.300 

1876 

1,330,000 

1889 

9,440,000 

1864 

8.100 

1877 

1.437,000 

1890 

9.230,000 

1865 

6.990 

1878 

1.360,000 

1891 

9,950.000 

1866 

21,000 

1879 

2.280,000 

1892 

10,516,000 

1867 

51,000 

1880 

2,590.000 

1893 

9.458,000 

1868 

103,000 

1881 

4,140.000 

1894 

9.600.000 

1869 

261,000 

1882 

3.776,000 

1895 

11,100,000 

1870 

405,000 

1883 

4,440,000 

1896 

10,000,000 

1871 

536,000 

1884 

4.320.000 

1897 

12,583,000 

1872 

876,700 

1885 

5,250,000 

1898 

10,000,000 

1^8  A  Xc-cC  Ijidnstry. 

In  the  United  States,  the  City  of  New  York  is  the  central 
market.  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Payne  of  the  firm  of  Wm.  R.  Payne  & 
Co.,  is,  perhaps,  more  intimately  connected  with  the  trade,  than 
any  other  merchant.  He  appears  to  have  had  a  natural  fondness 
for  the  business  for  there  was  very  little  profit  in  it  for  many 
years,  yet  he  has  always  used  his  best  efforts  to  build  up  the 
breeding  industry,  and  has  worked,  unceasingly,  to  encourage 
our  government  to  bring  in  new  blood  from  Turkey.  He  has 
written  to  the  press,  and  has  been,  and  is  now,  always  ready  to 
give  information  to  breeders,  no  matter  how  small  they  may  be, 
relative  to  the  business.  He  has  very  kindly  assisted  me 
in  getting  information  concerning  the  manner  in  which  this  pro- 
duct is  handled,  and  has  aided  me  largely  in  other  matters,  for 
which  I  feel  under  great  obligation. 

Messrs.  Kitching  &  Bicknell  have  also  been  prominent 
factors  in  building  up  the  mohair  industry,  and  enjoy  the  confi- 
dence of  a  large  number  of  breeders.  In  addition  to  these  may 
be  mentioned  : 

J.  C.  L.inde  &  Co.,  New  York. 

Jno.  M.  Emnott,  New  York. 

John  Finnigan  &  Co.,  New  York. 

Hutchins  &  Co.,  r)Oston. 

L.  S.  Fiske  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

Who  handle  more  or  less  of  the  product. 

The  amount  of  mohair  consumed  annually  in  the  world  can 
only  be  arrived  at  through  the  importations  into  England  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  from  Turkey,  added  to  the  clip  of 
the  United  States. 

The  following  table  will,  therefore,  give  a  very  fair  idea  of 
the  world's  present  consumption  : 

Imports  from  Sotith  Africa  to  England 10,000,000  pounds 

Imports  from  Turkey  to  England 10,200,000  pounds 

Product  of  the  United  States 800,000  pound:. 

Total 21,000,000  pounds 


Where  to  sell  Mohair,  and  how  it  is  Graded.  139 

This  includes  all  classes,  and,  as  much  of  the  product  of 
South  Africa  and  the  United  States,  is  of  a  low,  cross-bred,  or- 
der, short  in  staple,  and  kempy,  much  of  it  is  only  entitled  to  be 
called  mohair  "by  courtesy." 

Every  indication  points  to  a  large  increase  in  the  uses  of 
this  product,  as  may  be  readily  inferred  after  reading  the  forego- 
ing chapter  on  manufacturing,  and,  that  the  raising  of  the  An- 
gora goat  offers  great  inducement  to  the  American  farmer,  ad- 
mits of  no  argument.  Indeed,  conditions  are  more  favorable 
for  the  culture  of  this  animal  in  the  United  States,  than  any  other 
country,  not  excepting  its  native  land,  Asia. 

That  the  climate  of  the  United  States  is  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  both  animal  and  vegetable  fibre  is  evidenced  by 
the  wonderful  development  of  our  cotton  product,  a  plant  in- 
troduced in  this  country  less  than  two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
for  the  past  century  has  maintained  supremacy  over  all  other 
growths.  The  development  of  the  Spanish  Merino  sheep  was 
attempted  first  in  England,  as  early  as  1788,  by  King  George 
III.,  but  was  abandoned,  (see  Ency.  Brit.  Vol.  I,  303)  and  was 
taken  up  by  Americans  early  in  the  19th  century,  and  carried  to 
a  successful  termination,  resulting  in  the  established  breed  of 
"American  Merinos,''  which  have  been  celebrated  the  world  over 
for  density  of  fleece,  and  fineness  of  fibre,  for  the  past  thirty 
years  or  longer.  It  is,  therefore,  not  unreasonable  to  think 
that  we  will,  sooner  or  later,  take  the  lead  of  all  nations  in  the 
product  of  mohair,  as  we  have  done  with  cotton,  and  would  cer- 
tanily  have  done  with  wool,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  vacillating 
policy  of  our  law-makers  relating  to  a  protective  tarifif.  As  be- 
fore stated,  the  demand  for  mohair  is  largely  governed  by  the 
freaks  of  fashion,  but  for  staple  goods,  such  as  plushes,  uphol- 
stery goods,  linings,  etc.,  there  is  always  a  regular  demand  for 
such  grades  as  are  suitable  for  this  class  of  manufactures,  but, 
the  dress  goods,  and  braid  trade  is  uncertain  and  variable.  The 
following  extract  from  Dr.  Hayes'  work  will  convey  some  idea 
of  the  enormous  demand  for  plush  alone,  and  it  should  be  borne 
in  mind  that,  the  great  increase  in  railroad  building  since  Mr. 


1^0  A  Nczv  Industry. 

Poor's  estimate  was  made  (188^)  will  justify  a  very  large  increase 
on  his  figures  at  the  present  time.  I  think,  too,  that  his  estimate 
should  have  been  made  upon  the  basis  of  three  pounds  of  fleece, 
in  place  of  four,  which  will  largely  increase  his  estimate  of  the 
number  of  goats. 

"Air.  H.  V.  Poor,  the  best  American  authority  on  raih'oads,  informs 
me  that  not  less  than  three  thousand  new  passenger  cars  are  buiU  in 
the  United  States  annually  for  old  roads,  and  the  number  is  increasing 
as  new  roads  are  built.  Each  passenger  car  has  sixty  seats.  Four  yards 
of  mohair  plush  are  required  for  each  seat.  There  are  nine  ounces  of 
mohair  to  a  yard  of  plush,  making  562,000  pounds  of  mohair  for  the 
three  thousand  cars.  This  divided  by  four,  the  average  weight  of  the 
fleece,  shows  that  about  150,000  Angoras  would  be  required  to  furnish 
the  raw  material  for  this  single  fabric,  which  will  never  go  out  of  fashion." 
(See  Hayes,  p.  118.) 

As  a  rule,  most  of  the  American  clip  of  mohair  has  to  be 
graded  to  prepare  it  for  sale,  which  is  done  by  the  commission 
merchant  who  receives  it  upon  consignment.  \'ery  few  breed- 
ers have  been  so  careful  in  breeding  as  to  have  a  perfectly  unir 
form  lot  of  goats,  and  their  clips  naturally  show  different  strains 
of  blood,  which  makes  grading  a  necessary  featitre  in  handling 
it,  when  it  reaches  market.  This  shows  the  importance  of  hav- 
ing an  experienced  merchant  to  consign  to,  for  it  is  pure  gucs'". 
work  to  determine  the  value  of  a  lot  of  mohair  ungraded,  yet, 
it  is  often,  and  I  may  say,  universally  done  in  the  interior,  when 
it  is  sold  to  local  merchants  or  to  speculators,  who  generally 
buy  in  a  lump,  which  explains  the  low  price  they  usually  pay. 

By  a  careful  assortment  of  the  different  grades,  the  pro- 
ducer receives  full  compensation  for  h  s  prodtict,  and  the  manu- 
facturer is  better  satisfied,  even  after  payiiig  a  premium  over 
what  he  had  figured  on. 

The  characteristics  which  govern  the  grading  of  mohair 
are : 

1st.     The  finest  fibre. 

2d.     The  longest  staple. 

3d.    The  brightest  lustre. 

4th.     The  cleanest  condition.. 


Where  to  sell  Mohair,  and  hoiv  it  is  Graded.  141 

Each  merchant  has  liis  own  method  of  grading,  which  I 
consider  wrong  in  principle.  There  should  be  a  standard  grade, 
in  niy  opinion,  so  that  when  quotations  are  named  for  any  par- 
ticular grade  of  mohair,  you  may  know  it  is  not  of  this,  or  that, 
merchants'  grading,  but  a  "National  standard  grade,"  agreed  to 
by  all  concerned  in  the  trade.  This  is  a  very  confusing  element  in 
many  of  our  agricultural  products,  notably  wool,  which  is  hand- 
led very  much  in  the  same  manner  as  mohair,  and  it  is  really 
impossible  to  determine  what  the  market  value  of  wool  is  by 
reading  a  market  report  of  prices,  unless  you  happen  to  be  fa- 
miliar with  the  grades  of  the  market.  Each  selling  market  of 
this  product  has  a  distinct  and  separate  set  of  terms  for  different 
grades  of  wool,  which  the  merchant  and  dealers  in  that  market, 
of  course,  understand,  but  to  the  people  at  large  is  a  perfect 
enigma.  If  "standard  grades"  could  be  agreed  upon,  as  is  follow- 
ed by  the  cotton  trade  in  cur  country,  it  would  simplify  matters, 
and  would  result  in  great  benefit  to  producers.  Of  course,  this 
reform  can  only  come  about  by  concert  of  action  on  the  part  of 
merchants  engaged  in  the  trade,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped,  after  our 
mohair  industry  has  reached  proportions  to  justify  it,  they  will 
unite  upon  some  uniform  plan  for  grading  which  will  be  agree-, 
able  to  all 

The  method  of  grading  mohair  at  this  time  is  to  first  class- 
ify it  into  three  large  divisions,  viz : 

1st.     Combing. 

2d.     Carding. 

od.     Coarse. 

These  are  again  sub-divided  by  grades  into  the  following: 

COMBING   MOHAIR. 
XX  Combing,  or  very  finest,  of  G  inches,  and  above. 
No.  1  Combing,  or  second  finest,  of  six  inches  and  above. 
No.  2  Combing,  or  third  finest,  of  G  inches,  and  above. 
Braid  Combing,  or  fourth  finest,  of  G  inches,  and  above. 
Fine  baby  combing,  a   Xo.   1    medium  staple,  5   to   (i  inch 
staple. 

Medium  Combing,  a  Xo.  2  medium  staple,  5  to  G  inch  staple. 


142  A  Nctv  Industry. 

CARDING  MOHAIR. 
Carding-  No.  1,  and  kid,  less  than  5  inches. 
Carding-  No.  2,  less  than  5  inches. 
Blanket — All  cross-bred,  of  a  low  medium  grade. 

COARSE  MOHAIR. 

Carpet — Next  lower  quahty. 

Common  goat — White  and  gra}'. 

Burry,  and  seedy. 

Black  Fleeces. 

Locks,  Breech,  and  Manes. 

In  determining  value  of  mohair  it  is  manifest  that  a  fleece 
having  the 

Very  finest  fibre. 

The  longest  staple. 

I'he  brightest  lustre,  and 

The  cleanest  condition 
would  be  considered  the  most  valuable,  and  form  a  standard  by 
which  all  other  qualities  are  fixed.     As  there  are  variations  from 
this  ideal  standard,  in  respect  to  all  four  points  running  through 
the  whole  scale  of  grades,  so  the  values  vary. 

THE  TURKLSH  SYSTEM. 

In  Turkey,  as  a  rule,  each  Province,  or  Vilayet,  produces 
mohair  that  differs  in  character,  condition,  etc.  The  stock  is 
usually  assorted  in  Constantinople,  and  classified  as  follows  : 

"Choice." 

"Superior." 

"Good  Average." 

"Average." 

"Ordinary." 

The  white  hair  is  separated  from  yellow,  and  stained ;  and, 
all  gray,  brown,  and  fawn,  colors,  are  graded  out.  Then  each 
Province's  hair  is  sold  under  its  own  name,  such  as  "Angora," 
"Tscherkess,"  "Kastombol,"  "Ishkissier,"  "Geridah."  "Bei- 
bazar,"  etc. 


JVhcrc  to  sell  Mohair,  and  liozv  it  is  Graded.  143 

But,  in  addition  to  these  factors  ui  fixing  value  there  is 
another  feature  that  has  to  be  considered.  Mohair,  being  chiefly 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  "Worsted" yarns,  has  to  be  "combed," 
the  proportion  of  short,  woolly,  and  kempy,  undergrowth,  and 
all  short  fibres  ofpure  mohair,  therefore,  has  to  be  considered.  This 
is  called  "Noilage."  When  the  mohair  at  the  mill  has  been  sorted 
it  is  called  "matchings ;"  and,  after  scouring,  is  put  in  a  machine 
called  a  "comb."  The  first  operation  takes  out  the  very  bottom 
of  wooly  fibre,  and  whatever  kemp  there  is,  with,  very  often, 
specks  of  vegetable  fibre,  seeds, etc.,  which  is  called  "first  comb- 
ing noils." 

The  second  passage  through  the  comb,  separates  all  the 
mohair  fibres,  too  short  to  spin  into  worsted  yarn.  This  pro- 
duct is  called  the  "second  combing  noils,"  and  is  a  mohair  fibre, 
but  quite  short. 

The  long  fibres  are  arranged  parallel  in  a  long,  continuous 
band  called  "Top,"  from  which  it  is  spun  into  yarn.  It  is  ciuite 
evident  that  the  less  "noils,"  and  the  more  "top,"  a  lot  of  mohair 
yields,  the  more  profitable,  and  valuable,  it  is. 

Turkish  mohair  averages  from  10  per  cent,  to  20  per  cent, 
"noils,"  while  the  American  clip  ranges  from  22  per  cent,  to  40 
per  cent.,  hence  the  relative  difference  in  value. 

A  few  American  cHps  are  quite  as  free  from  "noils"  as  the 
Turkish  mohair,  and  commands  an  equal  price  in  market;  and, 
there  is  no  reason,  if  proper  care  is  used  in  shearing  the  goats, 
why  a  large  amount  of  our  clip  should  not  occupy  the  same  po- 
sition. The  value  of  combing  hair  increases  with  every  inch 
in  length,  other  factors  being  equal. 

The  very  coarse-fibred  hair,  from  old  bucks  and  wethers, 
when  twelve  inches  and  over  is  used  for  doll's  hair,  for  wigs,  and 
artificial  gray  hair  for  ladies,  and  ranges  in  value  from  50c  to  75c 
per  pound. 

The  following  table  will  give  the  price  at  which  mohair  has 
sold  in  England  since  185o,  which  is  taken  from  the  Bulletin  of 
the  National  Wool  Manufacturer's  Association  for  December, 
1895 : 


j^^  A  Nczv  Industry. 

PRICES  OF  MOHAILl  IN  ENGLAND  SINCE  1856. 


ISoG 

48 

cents 

1876  .... 

62 

cents 

1857 

60 

cents 

1877  

56 

cents 

1858 

60 

cents 

1878  

62 

cents 

1859 

73 

cents 

1879  

.36 

cents 

1860 

76 

cents 

1880  

.66 

cents 

1861 

76 

cents 

1881 

38 

cents 

1862 

78 

cents 

1882  .... 

45 

cents 

1863 

.  90 

cents 
cents 

1883  .... 

1884  

40 

37 

to 
to 

43 

45 

cents 

1864 

78 

cents 

1865 

66 

cents 
cents 

1885  

1886  

28 

23 

to 
to 

38 
32 

1866 

88 

cents 

1867 

90 

cents 

1887  

25 

to 

29 

cents 

1868 

54 

cents 

1888  

24 

to 

28  cents 

1869 

86 

cents 

1889  

25 

to 

42 

cents 

1870 

98 

cents 

1890  .... 

.27 

cents 

1871 

78 

cents 

1891  .... 

.24 

cents 

1872 

90 

cents 

1892  .... 

24 

to 

29 

cents 

1873 

(J6 

cents 

1893  .... 

.37 

cents 

1874 

:  0 

cents 

1894  

27 

to 

31 

cents 

1875 

82 

cents 

1895  

28 

to 

64 

cents 

CHAPTER  XII. 

HOW    TO   PREPARE    MOHAIR   FOR    MARKET. 

In  shearing  goats  it  is  very  miportant  that  the  chpping 
should  be  as  close  to  the  skin  as  possible,  as  the  longer  the  hair 
is  the  mere  money  it  will  command  in  market.  One  of  the  re- 
cently patented  shearing  machines  is  probably  the  best  method 
of  taking  off  the  fleece  as  it  will  insure  a  uniform  staple,  which 
is  a  very  important  feature.  If  ordinary  wool  shears  are  used, 
try  and  make  one  clip  of  the  shears  do  the  work.  It  is  quite 
common  with  nearly  all  professional  shearers,  when  they  are 
paid  by  the  head,  to  run  ever  their  work  as  fast  as  they  can,  in 
order  to  earn  as  much  as  possible  during  the  day.  Quite  a  rivalry 
exists  among  a  gang,  usually,  as  to  which  one  can  shear  the 
fastest,  and  it  is  quite  common  for  them  to  cut  the  hair  into  sev- 
eral pieces  unless  you  are  watching  them,  and  insist  upon  their 
being  more  careful.  The  short  hairs  are  of  very  little  value,  as 
explained  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  and,  when  too  short,  will  fly 
away  in  handling,  which  is  a  complete  loss.  If  the  fleeces  are  of 
different  lengths,  the  longest  mohair  should  be  kept  separate. 
Coarse,  kempy,  hair  (quite  common  in  low  grades  of  goats), 
should  not  be  mixed  with  the  better  grades,  as  it  will  reduce  the 
selling  price  of  the  finer  hair.  The  beard  of  the  animal  is  of 
but  little  value  and  should  not  be  removed. 

The  most  approved  method  for  shearing,  perhaps,  is  to  first 
shear  the  locks,  and  short  belly  hair,  and  then  take  off  the 
fleece  proper,  which  should  be  kept  in  tact,  as  far  as  possible, 
folding  each  fleece  separate,  and  placing  it  in  a  bag  as  soon  as 
shorn. 


7^6  A  Neiv  Industry. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  tie  the  fleece  with  twine.  If  any  of 
the  hair  contains  burrs,  or  any  vegetable,  or  foreign  matter, 
it  should  be  packed  separate ;  and  all  black,  and  off-colored 
fleeces  should  be  kept  together. 

Kid  fleeces  will  command  a  premium ;  and,  if  there  are 
enough  of  them,  to  make  a  package  of  any  reasonable  size,  it  is 
well  not  to  mix  them  with  the  older  hair. 

The  ordinary  wool  sack  is  commonly  used  for  shipping, 
and  between  150  to  175  pounds  is  quite  enough  to  pack  in  a  six 
foot  sack.  More  than  this  can  be  tramped  into  it,  but  it  is  best 
not  to  pack  too  tight. 

Some  breeders,  more  particularly  in  New  Mexico,  put  their 
mohair  up  in  compressed  bales  like  cotton.  This  is  a  very  poor 
plan,  as  it  must  be  assorted,  and  classified  by  the  merchant, 
when  it  reaches  its  destination,  and  if  it  is  loosely  packed,  it  fa- 
cilitates the  handling  of  it,  and  always  presents  a  better  appear- 
ance than  when  all  the  life  has  been  squeezed  out  of  it  by 
pressing. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE     TRADE     IN     ANGORA    GOAT     SKINS,    AND    HOW    TO 
PREPARE    THEM    FOR    MARKET" 

Quite  an  extensive  trade  is  carried  on  in  Angora  goat 
skins. 

No  less  than  twenty  thousand  pelts  are  imported  every  year 
through  the  port  of  New  York,  alone,  from  Turkey  and  South 
Africa,  which  are  graded  according  to  the  length  of  hair,  fullness 
of  fleece  and  weight. 

Turkish  skins  usually  range  from  $1.50  for  five  pound  skins 
up  to  $3.50  for  a  ten  pound  skin. 

The  Cape  skin  (the  term  "Cape"  is  applied  to  it  because  it  is 
shipped  through  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope)  is  sold  by  weight, 
and  ranges  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  cents  per  pound. 

The  Domestic  skin  is  very  much  like  "Cape's,"  and  sells  for 
about  the  same  price ;  though,  if  they  are  well  fleeced  and  prop- 
erly cured  will  bring  $2.00  to  $2.50. 

The  kid  skin  sells  at  from  25  cents  to  50  cents  each,  accord- 
ing to  quality  and  condition. 

Curing,  is  a  very  important  matter,  and  the  market  value  is 
largely  governed  by  it. 

It  is  not  at  all  uncommon  for  the  American  breeder  to  throw 
his  raw  skin  upon  a  fence  rail,  a  barbed  wire  fence,  or  in  the 
crotch  of  a  tree,  if  that  should  be  the  most  convenient  place, 
and  then  he  wonders  why  it  is  that  the  Turkish  skins  bring  so 
much  more  money  in  market  than  his  do. 

The  Turks  are  very  careful  to  remove  all  flesh,  and  to  salt 
the  skin  thoroughly,  and  then  dry  it  in  a  shady  place.  If  it  is 
dried  in  the  sun  it  will  get  sunburned,  which  is  injurious. 


j^(S  A  New  Industry. 

li  salt  is  not  to  be  had.  they  can  ])e  cured  nicely  by  stretching 
them  out  on  the  floor  of  a  room,  and  tacking  them  down  by  the 
edge  of  the  skin,  where  it  should  remain  until  perfectly  dry.  If 
it  is  not  stretched  out  and  tacked  down,  it  will  curl  up  into  all 
kinds  of  shape,  which  explains  the  reason  why  many  of  the  do- 
mestic skins  sell  so  poorly. 

Skins  that  are  dried  in  the  manner  last  mentioned  are  liable 
to  be  damaged  by  the  hide  bug,  and  should  be  sent  to  market 
promptly  if  the  weather  is  hot. 

They  can  be  poisoned,  however,  by  sprinkling  the  flesh  side 
of  the  pelt  with  a  solution  of  arsenic  (IJ^  ounces  of  arsenic  to  1 
g"allon  of  water),  and  can  be  kept  for  some  time  in  this  way. 

The  dry-salt  method  is  much  the  more  convenient,  as  they 
can  be  salted  in  a  store  room  and  placed  on  top  of  each  other 
i.mtil  you  decide  to  send  them  to  market,  when  they  should  be 
laid  out  on  the  floor,  the  salt  carefully  removed,  with  a  broom, 
and  then  thoroughly  dried,  when  they  are  in  condition  to  be 
bundled,   or  baled,   for   shipment. 

Fifty  skins  make  a  very  convenient  sized  bale. 

Tt  ma}-  not  be  generally  known  that  the  goat  family  is  sup- 
plying nearly  all  of  the  so-called  fur  that  is  now  being  used 
by  our  fashionable  people.  If  you  will  ask  any  (honest)  furrier 
he  will  tell  you  that  the  great  bulk  of  his  carriage  robes,  over- 
coats, capes,  etc..  are  made  from  the  common  goat  skin,  and 
this  alone  should  be  encouragement  enough  for  farmers  to 
become  interested  in  the  Angora,  for  there  is  no  product  that 
commands  such  good  prices  as  furs. 

The  bufifalo,  which  were  once  so  common  in  the  United 
States  as  to  be  hardly  worth  the  skinning,  are  now  not  quoted 
at  all,  owing  to  the  complete  extermination  of  the  animal. 

Bear,  are  likewise,  very  scarce,  and  sell  at  prices  ranging 
from  $10.00  to  $50.00.  There  are  very  few  seal,  otter,  and 
beaver;  and,  at  the  present  rate  of  ccnsumption,  and  the  high 
prices  that  are  being  offered  and  paid  for  them,  these  will  soon 
be  exterminated  as  well. 

The  "Hudson's  Bay  Company,"  and  similar  concerns,  have 
been  supplying  a  demand  for  furs  for  the  past  hundred  years  or 


Angora  Goat  Skins  and  how  to  Prepare  for  Market.        14P 

more,  whicli  has  come  from  all  portions  of  the  globe  ;  and,  when 
we  reflect  upon  the  enormous  number  of  wild  animals  that  ex- 
isted on  this  continent  in  the  early  days,  a  fair  idea  can  be  formed 
of  the  unlimited  extent  that  this  trade  possesses.  The  buffalo, 
for  instance,  roamed  from  the  North  to  the  South  in  droves 
that  were, at  times, so  enormous  that, when  they  were  on  the  run, 
would  make  the  very  earth  tremble.  Up  to  within  twenty  years 
these  great  droves  of  buffalo  were  often  seen  in  Texas,  but  they 
have  all  disappeared,  and  the  animal  is  not  to  be  seen  now  any- 
where, except  in  some  city  park  or  menagerie. 

Is  there  any  wonder  then,  at  the  fabulous  prices  that  are 
being  ofifered  and  paid  for  furs  ?  The  great  advance  in  price 
is  indicative  of  how  sorely  the  human  family  miss  this  great 
gift  from  nature.  But  they  are  all  gone  or  will  be  very  soon, 
and  a  substitute,  in  the  form  of  manufactured  fabrics,  will  have 
to  be  used  to  afford  the  warmth  that  these  wild  animal  skins 
have  done  for  so  many  centuries. 

The  o.Y,  and  the  cozv,  are  being  largely  employed  in  this 
respect ;  and,  the  cat,  and  rabbit,  are  also  being  brought  into  use, 
which  were  seldom  ever  used  before,  owing  to  the  delicate  nature 
of  their  skins.  Individuals  have  resorted  to  propagating  the 
black  skunk,  and  have  found  it  a  very  profitable  business,  and,  if 
it  were  not  for  the  great  expense  of  feeding  the  animal  a  dog 
rancJi  would  pay  as  large  a  profit  as  raising  cattle. 

In  the  Angora  goat,  we  have,  perhaps,  the  most  perfect  sub- 
stitute for  animal  fur  that  can  be  found.  The  skin  can  be  taken 
at  various  stages  in  the  growth  of  the  hair,  and  can  be  made  to 
represent  very  many  of  the  wild  animal  skins  so  perfectly  that 
they  can  hardly  be  detected  from  the  genuine.  The  monkey  skin 
mufif  and  boa,  that  are  so  commonly  worn  by  young  ladies,  are 
nothing  else  but  the  straight-haired  goat,  dyed  black ;  and,  much 
of  the  so-called  "Astrachan,"  is  the  curly-haired  Angora  skin, 
taken  when  the  hair  is  only  about  one  month's  growth. 

The  bear  is  another  skin  that  the  goat  can  duplicate,  and, 
when  properly  dyed,  will  defy  the  most  expert  furrier  to  detect. 

In  addition  to  this  there  is  a  great  demand  for  floor  rugs. 
Angora  lace  trimmings,  muffs,  capes,  boas,  etc.,  for  ladies' 
and  children's  wear,  and  the  furriers  who  supply  this  trade,  have 


1^0  A  Nciv  Industry. 

never  found  any  skin  so  suitable  as  that  of  the  Angora  goat, 
with  its  histrous,  curly  hair.  Such  rugs  are  very  ornate  and  at- 
tractive, and  are  the  envy  of  all  ladies  who  are  tasty  in  furnishing 
their  dwellings.  As  compared  with  a  woven  rug,  they  are,  as  a 
Cashmere  shawl  would  be  to  one  made  from  cotton,  and  the  de- 
mand for  them  will  always  be  sufficiently  great  to  return  a  fair 
profit  on  the  cost  of  producing  the  animal. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CONCENTRATING    UPON    ONE    MARKET. 

The  members  of  nearly  every  branch  of  commercial,  and  in- 
dustrial pursuits,  have  within  the  past  thirty  years,  come  under 
some  form  of  organization  for  their  mutual  interest  and  benefit. 
The  merchants  have  their  "exchanges,"  or  "boards  of  trade ;" 
the  railroads  their  "combines,"  to  maintain  a  higher  rate  of 
freight ;  the  manufacturers  and  miners,  have  "trusts,"  and  the 
laboring  men  their  "unions."  All  seem  to  recognize  the  fact 
that  it  is  necessary  to  work  together,  upon  some  uniform  plan, 
in  order  to  receive  the  full  benefits  from  their  capital  and  labor. 
under  the  law  of  supply  and  demand. 

The  farmer, and  stock-raiser,  alone,  stand  out;  and, although 
many  attempts  have  been  made  to  unite  them  under  some  prac- 
tical organization,  nothing  has  come  out  of  it,  as  yet. 

The  most  important  part  of  agriculture,  perhaps,  is  that 
which  relates  to  the  commercial  features  of  it.  The  late  Secre- 
tary of  Agriculture,  Hon.  J.  M.  Rusk,  in  one  of  his  annual 
reports,  very  wisely  said  : 

"It  requires  as  much  skill  to  market  a  crop,  as  it  does  to  produce  it." 

A  farmer  who  has  not  the  proper  knowledge  of  the  trade  he 
is  dealing  with,  should  select  some  competent  merchant  to  rep- 
resent him  in  converting  his  products  into  cash  ;  he  may  be  ever 
so  skilful  as  a  farmer,  may  be  able  to  make  "two  blades  of  grass 
grow,  where  only  one  grew  before ;"  but,  if  he  has  not  the  com- 
mercial ability  to  cope  with  the  experienced  and  shrewd  buyer,  he 
is  compelled  to  trade  with,  he  may  finji  that  he  does  not  realize  as 
much  as  his  less  skilful  neighbor,  who  consigns  his  produce  to 
some  capable  merchant. 


15^  A  New  Iiidiislry. 

The  selling  of  wool,  for  instance,  seems  to  be  simple 
enoug-h.  but  there  is  more  of  a  science  in  it  than  appears  on  the 
surface.  The  calling  of  the  wool  merchant  is  equally  as  difficult 
to  master  as  that  of  any  other  profession.  He  must  know  the 
way  in  which  wools  are  graded  in  different  markets,  and  what 
they  are  worth,  both  in  this  country  and  abroad.  Mr.  Rusk  says 
again  : 

"In  these  day.s,  there  is  no  distance  Hmitations  to  possible  competi- 
tion, *  *  *  There  is  no  section  in  the  civilized  world  which  may  not 
at  some  time,  and  in  regard  to  some  product,  be  found  to  be  a  competitor 
of  the  American   farmer."     U.   S.   AgtI.    Report,   1891,   p.   39. 

He  must  also  be  familiar  with  the  supply  of  wool  in  stock, 
and  in  the  hands  of  manufacturers,  in  order  to  know  whether 
he  should  hold  it  longer,  or  sell  what  he  has  on  hand  at  the  price 
he  is  ofifered. 

The  average  wool  grower  of  the  United  States,  however, 
does  not  recognize  these  facts.  He  either  undertakes  to  sell 
his  own  wool,  or  will  entrust  it  to  some  popular  friend  who  has, 
perhaps,  made  a  failure  as  a  wool  grower,  and  has  painted  his 
sign  "wool  mcrcliant ;"  or,  he  may  select  some  country  cross-road 
grocery  keeper  to  represent  him  ;  some  "jay."  who  has  never 
seen  the  inside  of  a  counting-room,  and  possibly  has  never  been 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  own  State,  whose  business  is 
usually  advertised  upon  the  panels  of  the  country  road  gates,  in 

such  a  conspicuous  way  as  "Bring  your  wool,  and  mohair,  to 

and  get  New  York  prices  for  it."  These  are  the  kind  of 
''merchants"  that  are  frequently  employed  in  the  interior  to  sell 
wool  to  the  expert  wool  dealer,  from  the  large  markets  of  the 
East,  who  has  made  a  life-time  study  of  his  business,  and  is  famil- 
iar with  all  of  its  details.''' 

*It  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  we  have  no  competent  wool  mer- 
chants in  the  interior  of  our  States;  but,  I  maintain,  the  great  majority 
of  those  who  are  engaged  in  that  business  have  never  received  the 
necessary  training  to  justify  them  in  conducting  it  properly.  And,  fur- 
thermore, no  matter  how  competent  a  merchant  may  be  unless  he  has 
access  to  information  relating  to  the  statistics,  as  well  as  the  grades 
of  wool  he  cannot  trade  intelligently. 


Coiicoitrating  upon   one  Market.  i^^ 

In  the  absence  of  "standard  grades,"  no  one  but  an  ex- 
perienced dealer  can  tell  what  the  different  market  reports  mean. 
Some  grades  of  wool  may  be  quoted  in  one  market  at  a  very 
low  price,  that  are  of  a  better  quality  than  another  grade,  which 
is  quoted  at  a  much  higher  value  in  another  market. 

A  shrewd  buyer  will  select  just  such  market  quotations 
as  suits  his  purpose  the  best,  when  driving  a  trade  with  the  inex- 
perienced merchant,  and  after  he  has  made  a  trade,  will  leave 
him  in  blissful  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  he  has  parted  with  his 
wool  at  much  below  its  real  value. 

If  wool-growers  would  unite  upon  a  single  market,  and 
concentrate  their  wool  in  the  hands  of  the  merchants  of  that 
one  market  alone,  they  would  profit  very  largely  by  the  change, 
for  they  would  eliminate  the  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  different 
market  quotations,  which  are,  perhaps,  the  most  disturbing 
element  in  this  trade  at  the  present  time.  The  London  wool 
market  is  a  very  fine  illustration  of  this  system,  and  indicates 
clearly  the  wisdom  of  the  Australian,  New  Zealand,  and  Argen- 
tine, wool-growers  in  adopting  it. 

Their  wools  are  concentrated  in  London,  and  sold  at  regular 
intervals,  which  has  a  tendency  to  increase  competition,  and  re- 
sults, very  naturally,  in  higher  values.  They  use  but  one  set  of 
grade  terms,  which  is,  practically,  the  same  as  a  standard. 

This  system  has  been  followed  for  years,  and  is  admitted  to 
be  the  most  desirable  one  for  a  producer  of  an  agricultural 
product  to  follow,  and  if  the  mohair  growers  of  the  United 
States  will  unite  on  New  York  City,  as  the  mohair  market  for 
the  United  States,  in  place  of  shippmg  to  several  markets,  and 
still  worse,  selling  here  and  there  in  the  interior,  there  is  no 
doubt  but  it  will  result  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  every  producer 
of  mohair  in  our  country. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ANGORA   VENISON    AS   A   SALABLE    PRODUCT.* 

A  few  years  back, the  prejudice  for  goat  meat  was  so  strong, 
it  was  impossible  to  find  sale  for  any  considerable  number  of 
Angora  goats  at  any  of  our  large  meat-packing  centers,  though 
it  was  not  uncommon  for  packers  to  slaughter  a  few  when  they 
were  shipped  in  with  a  lot  of  sheep. 

Today  there  is  no  difficulty  in  selling  them  in  any  quantity, 
provided  they  are  fat,  and  the  sheep  feeder  stands  ready  to  take 
as  many  as  the  packers  reject;  hence,  it  may  be  safely  stated 
that  the  Angora  is  now  recognized,  on  our  markets,  as  a  stand- 
ard class  of  meat. 

In  1895-G,  a  difference  of  $1.00  per  hundred  was  made  in 
favor  of  sheep,  but  this  has  been  steadily  narrowed  down  until 
there  is  little  or  no  distinction  made  between  well-graded  An- 
goras and  the  finest  sheep,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  in  a  few 
years  more,  a  premium  will  be  paid  for  the  Angora.  Indeed,  I 
am  morally  certain  of  this,  for  the  simple  reason  that  a  butcher 
can  realize  more  profit  from  the  Angora  than  he  can  from  the 
the  sheep.  The  pelt  of  a  highly  improved  Angora  will  net  the 
butcher  fully  twice  as  much  as  the  pelt  of  a  sheep ;  and  it  is  quite 
common  for  a  two-year-old  Angora  to  "break  at  the  joint"  (the 
usual  test  applied  to  lamb),  which  makes  it  more  salable. 

But,  apart  from  this,  the  meat  is  superior  to  that  of  the 
sheep,  and  will  naturally  take  precedence  in  market,  on  its  merit 
alone,  and  will  soon  be  sold  under  its  proper  name:  "Angara 
Tciiisoii,"  instead  of  being  palmed  off  for  ''Choice  Lamb.'"  Very 
few  people  have  ever  tasted  a  young  Angora  wether  that 
do  not  want  more,  and  it  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  the  preju- 
dice against  them  is  being  so  rapidly  removed. 


Angora  J'ciiisoii  as  a  Salable  Product.  755 

In  1851),  the  late  Dr.  John  Bachman,  an  eminent  natnraUst 
of  Charleston,  S.  C,  was  selected  by  the  "Southern  Central 
Agricultural  Association  of  Georgia,"  to  make  a  report  on  the 
goats  imported  by  Dr.  Davis  in  1849,  then  in  possession  of  Col. 
Richard  Peters. 

This  report  was  published  by  the  United  States  Agricultural 
Department  in  1857,  from  which  I  extract  the  following: 

"We  have  never  indulged  in  the  extravagant  luxury  of  feasting  on 
a  full-blooded  animal  of  this  variety  but  we  have,  on  several  occasions, 
made  a  hearty  meal  on  the  quarter,  half,  or  three-quarter  bloods,  and 
all  who  dined  in  company,  pronounced  the  meat  of  the  half-breed  wtthers 
superior  to  lamb;  and  an  eighteen-months'  old,  superior  to  mutton.  The 
flavor  approaches  nearer  to  venison,  than  to  mutton.  They  remain  fat 
nearly  throughout  the  year,  and  in  November,  are  almost  too  fat  for 
the  table.  We  observed  a  great  improvement  in  the  progeny  of  the 
full-bloods  over  their  imported  parents,  both  in  fatness,  and  in  size." 
(See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  1857,  page  62.) 

Mr.  A.  L.  Johns,  a  prominent  salesman  of  sheep,  on  the 
Kansas  City  Stock  Yards  for  many  years,  but  who  has  recently 
moved  to  Chicago,  has,  very  kindly,  written  me  the  following 
letter  upon  this  subject : 

"Chicago.  111..  Dec.  1st,  1899. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,   Fort  McKavett,  Texas: 

"Dear  Sir — In  reply  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  present  status  of  the 
Angora  goat  upon  the  Kansas  City  and  Chicago  markets.  I  beg  to  say 
that  the  conditions,  as  they  exist  now,  compared  with  ten  years  ago, 
are  very  gratifying  indeed.  At  that  time,  the  Angora  goat  was  hardly 
known  in  the  North,  and  was  seldom  seen  upon  our  markets;  they  were 
supposed  to  be  only  good  for  barn  yards,  and  if  a  butcher  had  dared 
to  offer  for  sale  even  a  leg  of  goat  meat,  his  market  would  have  been 
blacklisted,  and  his  patrons  would  have  looked  elsewhere  for  their  mutton 
chops.  Today,  thousands  of  the  little  white  animals  are  to  be  found  in 
nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  are  as  much  a  source  of  revenue 
to  their  owners  as  the  better  grade,  of  their  kin-folk,  the  sheep  family. 

"Recently,  in  conversation  with  Mr.  Tyson,  of  "Blair,  Neb.,  who, 
during  the  past  three  years,  has  fed  and  marketed  four  thousand  of  the 
grade  Angoras,  he  stated  that  his  profits  had  been  fully  as  great,  taking 
into  consideration  the  money  invested,  as  he  ever  made  in  feeding  sheep. 
Continuing,  he  stated  that  they  are  not  at  all  susceptible  to  disease,  such 
as  foot  rot,  scab,  etc.,  with  which  breeders  and  feeders  of  sheep,  have 
to  contend;  and  that,  as  scavengers,  they  are  invaluable,  and  in  his  opin- 


75<5  A  Nczv  Lidiistry. 

ion.  every  farmer  having  rough  and  brusliy  pastures  should  have  a  small 
flock  to  keep  it  cleaned  up;  and  that  they  would  be  repaid  ten  times 
over  the  cost  of  their  flock. 

"In  conclusion,  I  will  say  I  firmly  believe  the  time  has  come  when 
breeders  and  feeders  of  the  grade  Angora  goat,  will  be  counted  among 
our  successful  and  prosperous  stockmen;  producing  a  wholesome,  nutri- 
tious meat  that  will  meet  with  ready  demand  upon  any  of  our  large 
markets;  and,  in  place  of  salesman  begging  buyers  to  bid  on  them,  as 
in  years  gone  by,  there  will  be  active  competition  from  all  the  packers, 
and  sales  can  be  readily  made  within  thirty  to  forty  cents  per  one  hun 
dred  pounds  of  the  best  mutton. 

"Yours  very  truly, 

A.  L.  JOHNS, 
"Sheep  Salesman,  Uaion  Stock  Yards.  Chicago  " 

And  the  "Chicago  Live  Stock  Commission  Company,"  of 
Chicago,  Kansas  City,  and  St.  Louis-  add  their  testimony  to  the 
growing  popularity  of  this  animal  on  our  meat  markets,  in  the 
following  very  courteous  reply  to  an  inquiry  I  recently  sent  to 
them: 

"Chicago,  111.,   March   10th,   1900. 

-'Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavctt.  Texas: 

"Dear  Sir — Your  favor,  in  answer  to  mine  of  recent  date,  at  hand  and 
contents  carefully  noted.  The  information  contained  therein  is  very 
acceptable,  for  which  I  sincerely  thank  you.  I  have  taken  a  great  interest 
in  the  goat  industry  for  the  past  six  or  seven  years,  and  as  you  are 
undoubtedly  aware,  we  have  handled  more  of  them  than  any  other  com- 
mission firm  in  the  United  States.  We  have  had  them  of  all  kinds  and 
sizes,  and  all  breeds,  but  the  Angora  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list,  and  is 
gaining  in  favor  yearly  on  this  market.  Recently  a  double-deck  of 
lOO-pound,  two,  and  three-year-old,  wether  goats,  sold  here  at  4.75  per 
cwt.  This  was  when  the  top  of  the  market  for  our  best  sheep  was  about 
o  cents  per  pound.  Seven  or  eight  years  ago  this  same  load  of  goats 
would  not  have  sold  within  $1.00  per  cwt.  of  sheep  in  the  same  condition. 
The  load  referred  to,  understand,  were  well  finished  and  although  we  have 
had  none  here  recently,  several  hundred  could  be  sold  every  week  at 
prices  which  would  be  very  satisfactory  to  the  owner.  We  have  had 
numerous  inquiries  from  farmers,  throughout  the  country  tributary  to  this 
market,  asking  where  they  could  get  stock  goats,  the  most  of  them  being 
wanted  for  the  cleaning  up  of  brush  land,  but  so  far  as  we  have  been 
able  to  judge  the  demand  for  them  has  far  exceeded  the  supply  during  the 
past  year  or  two.     I  am  of  the  firm  opinion  that  the  meat  of  the  well 


Angora  Venison  as  a  Salable  Product. 


157 


finished  Angora  goat  ranks  well  up  to  that  of  our  best  mutton,   and   I 
predict  that,  ten  years  from  today,  this  industry  will  be  carried  on  in  the 
United  States  much  more  extensively  than  at  present. 
"With   kindest   regards,    I    remain, 

"Yours  to  command. 


Sheep  Salesman  for 


E.  R.  JOHNS, 
Chic:if<o  Live  Slock  Com.  Co. 


It  is  not  possible  to  arrive  at  a  correct  estimate  of  the  ntim- 
ber  of  Angora  goats  sold,  for  the  reason  they  are  classified  with 
sheep,  and  are  included  in  the  receipts  of  that  class  of  stock  in 
all  of  the  leading  stock  yards.  It  is  very  common  to  see  them 
in  lots  of  one  thousand,  and  over,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  otir 
stock  yards  will  sopn  adopt  a  different  system,  and  keep  a  record 
of  each  class. 

It  is  surprising  to  note  the  wonderful  growth  in  the  demand 
that  has  been  created  for  mutton  in  the  past  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury in  our  country.  In  referring  to  this,  in  1889,  the  late  Hon. 
J.  M.  Rusk,  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  in  his  report  for  that 
year,  says : 

"The  rapid  increase  in  consumption  of  mutton  is  indicated  by  an 
enlargement  of  the  receipts  of  sheep  at  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  ifrom 
544,627  in  1875  to  1,971,()83  in  1888.  The  increase  in  New  York,  during 
the  same  period  amounts  to  750,000."  (Sse  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  1889, 
•p.  43.) 

The  following  table  will  show  the  total  receipts  of  both  cat- 
tle and  sheep  at  Chicago  during  the  past  thirty-three  years : 


Year 

Cattt.e 

Shkep 

YEAd 

Cattt.k 

Sheep 

1865 -- 

613 

1,433 

1875.... 

920,843 

418,948 

1866... 

393,008 

207,987 

1^76.... 

1,0'.  16. 745 

364.095 

1867... 

329,188 

180,888 

1877.. . 

1,033.151 

310.240 

1868... 

324,524 

270,891 

1878.... 

1,083,068 

310,420 

1869... 

403,102 

340,072 

1879.... 

1,215,732 

325.119 

1870... 

532,964 

349,853 

1880.... 

1,382,477 

335,810 

1871... 

543,050 

315,053 

1881.... 

1,498,550 

493,624 

1872... 

684,075 

310,211 

1882.. .. 

1,582.530 

628.887 

1873... 

761,428 

291.734 

1883 .... 

1,878,944 

749,917 

1874... 

843,966 

3r3,655 

J38 


A  Nczv  Industry. 


YEAR 

Cattle 

SHEEP 

Year 

Cattle       |        Sheep 

1884  .  .  . 

1,817,697 

1 

801,630 

1892  .  .  . 

i 
3,571,796  1  2,145,079 

1885  . .  . 

1,905,518 

1,003,598 

1893  .  .  . 

3,133,406      3,031,174 

1886  .  .  . 

1,963,900 

1,008,790 

1894  .  .  . 

2,974,363      3,099,725 

1887  .  .  . 

2,382,008 

1,360,862 

1895   .  .  . 

2,588,558  1   3,406,739 

1888  .  .  . 

2,611,543 

1,515,014 

1896  .  .  . 

2,600,476  1  3,590,655 

1889  . .  . 

3,023,281 

1,832,469 

1897  .  .  . 

2,554,924  |  3,606,640 

1890  .  .  . 

3,484,280 
3,250,359 

2,182,667 
2,153,537 

1898  ..  . 
Total 

2,480,897  1   3,589,439 

1 

1891  ... 

.  |56,850,960|40,866,855 

It  will  be  observed  from  the  above  table  that,  while  the 
receipts  of  cattle,  at  Chicago,  increased  from  393,007  in  1866,  to 
2,480,897  in  1898,  or  a  little  more  than  six  times ;  those  of  sheep 
increased  from  207,987  in  1866,  to  3,589,439  in  1898,  or  over  sev- 
enteen times. 

ANGORA     VENISON. 


It  took  a  long-  time  to  bring  the  sheep  into  the  prominent 
position  it  now  occupies  upon  our  markets,  though  the  English 
recognized  the  superior  qualities  of  the  meat  at  a  very  early  day. 

The  prejudice  against  the  coarse,  common  goat  has  had  a 
tendency  to  restrict  the  use  of  Angora  venison,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  animals  have  usually  been  classed  together  as  goats, 
but  they  are  not  at  all  alike,  which  is  clearly  shown  in  the  sale 
of  their  skin  for  tanning  into  leather.  The  skin  of  the  common 
goat  is  coarse  grained  and  thick,  while  that  of  the  Angora  is 
very  thin,  and  fine  grained,  and  is  not  at  all  suitable  for  leather. 
The  difference  in  the  quality  of  the  meat  is  still  greater.  Angora 
venison  being  as  much  superior  to  the  common  goat  as  the 
Belgian  hare  is  superior  to  our  wild  native  jack  rabbit. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

IS    THERE    ANY    DANGER    FROM    OVER    PRODUCTION? 

The  one  element,  in  agriculture,  to  be  dreaded  above  all 
others  is  "over-production." 

The  losses  sustained  by  farmers  from  all  our  severe  drouths 
and  overflows,  are  as  nothing  compared  with  those  from  this 
single  cause. 

In  the  past  thirty  years,  the  value  of  cotton  has  been 
dragged  down  from  fifteen  cents  per  pound  in  1870,  to  about 
six  cents  (and  it  was  down  to  four  and  one-half  in  1898)  in  1899, 
a  depreciation  of  $45.00  per  bale,  or  nearly  twice  as  much  as  the 
entire  bale  of  cotton  is  now  sold  for;  and  the  shrinkage  in  the 
value  of  wheat  has  been  no  less  severe. 

The  cause  of  over-production  is  due  to  a  scramble  among 
farmers  to  raise  the  most  salable  products.  When  cotton  meets 
with  favorable  demand,  every  farmer  is  anxious  to  grow  as 
much  as  he  possibly  can  the  following  season,  and  the  result  is 
a  glutted  market  and  decline  in  price. 

Remedy,  after  remedy,  has  been  suggested,  to  regulate  mat- 
ters, but  as  yet  nothing  of  a  practical  nature  has  been  found. 
If  it  were  possible  to  control  acreage,  there  would  be  no  trouble 
in  solving  the  problem,  for  the  farmer  would  then  have  an  organ- 
ization in  the  nature  of  a  "trust,"  which  would  enable  him  to 
supply  the  demand,  with  as  much,  or  as  little  as  was  wanted. 
But  this  is  not  practical,  and,  it  is  doubtful,  if  there  will  ever  be 
any  remedy  for  this  terrible  evil  to  agriculture  until  the  non- 
producing  class  of  our  population  is  so  largely  increased  as  to 
create  a  greater  demand  for  farm  products  than  the  acreage  will 
justify.  That  this  time  will  be  reached  sooner  or  later,  there 
is  no  doubt,  but  it  is  too  far  removed  from  the  present  sufferers 
to  admit  of  serious  consideration. 


i6o  A  Nciv  Industry. 

Diversification  of  products  is,  perhaps,  the  most  practical 
system  for  a  farmer  to  operate  on,  and  in  this  new  branch  of 
agricuhure,  which  it  is  my  privilege  to  call  attention  to,  I  think 
we  have  a  product  that  is  as  free  from  the  danger  of  over-pro- 
duction as  any  that  I  know  of. 

The  annual  yield  of  mohair  in  the  United  States,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  amounts  to  about  800,000  pounds ;  and  the  demand  from 
our  manufacturing  industry  2,000,000  pounds,  which  will  admit 
of  an  increase  in  our  supply  of  1,200,000  pounds,  requiring  an 
increase  of  400,000  head  of  goats  having  a  shearing  capacity 
of  three  pounds  each.  It  'will  take  but  a  few  years  to 
cover  this  gap,  and  in  all  probability  the  supply  of  mohair  will 
sooner  or  later  exceed  the  demand,  and  the  market  price  be 
forced  down  under  the  inexorable  law  of  supply  and  demand, 
the  same  as  in  our  cotton  and  wheat  products.  But,  we  have  a 
safe-guard  in  this  new  industry,  which  does  not  exist  in  any 
other  branch  of  farming.  There  are  three  outlets  for  the  pro- 
duct, either  of  which  can  be  supplied  that  ofifers  the  greatest 
inducement. 

One  is  through   the  manufacturer,   for   mohair. 

One  is  through  the  butcher,  for  meat. 

One  is  through  the  furrier,  for  pelt. 

As  long  as  it  will  pay  to  produce  mohair  it  can  be  done ; 
but,  if  the  price  should  decline  to  an  unprofitable  point,  the 
animal  can  be  fattened  for  market,  and  sold  to  the  butcher,  and 
the  pelt  to  the  furrier,  which  will  correct  the  evil  of  over-produc- 
tion, and  restore  a  fair  market  value  for  mohair. 

The  demand  for  the  product,  from  either  branch  I  have 
mentioned,  is  quite  large  enough  to  support  a  great  number 
of  goats. 

In  mohair,  we  have  the  world  before  us,  and  a  constantly 
increasing  application  for  the  product. 

/;;  nwat,  we  have  an  unlimited  demand,  at  a  price  that  will 
always  afford  a  satisfactory  profit  in  raising  the  animal,  more 
especially  when  the  skin,  or  pelt,  is  taken  into  consideration. 

The  pelt  supplies  a  demand  from  the  furrier,  which  I 
have  made  the  subject  for  a  separate  chapter  (No.  XIII). 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

TARIFF    ON    MOHAIR,    LIVE   GOATS,    AND   ANGORA    SKINS. 

The  mohair-growing  industry  has  never  received  the  atten- 
tion from  members  of  Congress  that  its  importance  to  the 
country  would  seem  to  justify. 

It  was  first  placed  upon  the  tariff,  by  the  act  of  August  30, 
1842,  wlien  a  duty  of  one  cent  per  pound  was  placed  upon 
"Thibet,  Angora,  and  all  other  goats'  hair,  or  mohair,  unmanu- 
factured."    See  S.  L.,  Vol.  5.,  Chap.  CCLXX. 

The"  act  of  July  30,  1816,  changed  the  duty  to  twenty  per 
cent,  ad  valorem.     See  S.  L.,  Vol.  9.,  Chap.  LXXIV. 

The  act  of  March  2,  1861,  levied  a  duty  of  nine  cents  per 
pound  on  "Hair  of  the  Alpaca,  goat,  and  other  like  animals," 
if  it  exceeded  2-1  cents  per  pound  in  value  at  the  place  from 
which  it  was  exported.     See  S.  L.,  Vol.  12,  Chap.  LXVIIl. 

By  the  act  of  June  30th,  1864.  the  tariff  was  changed  to  read 
as  follows :  "  *  *  *  on  all  hair  of  the  Alpaca,  Goat,  and  other 
Like  Animals,  *  *  *  exceeding  thirty-two  cents  per  pound, 
twelve  cents  per  "pound,  and  in  addition  thereto  ten  per  cent, 
ad  valorem,  making  the  duty  equivalent  to  a  trifle  over  fifteen 
cents  per  pound.     See  S.  L.  Vol.  13,  Chap.  CLXXI,  Sec.  4. 

The  act  of  March  2nd,  1867,  divided  "all  Wools,  Hair  of  the 
Alpaca,  Goat,  and  other  Like  Animals,"  into  three  classes,  for 
the  purpose  of  fixing  the  duty  to  be  charged,  to-wit : 

Class  1.     Clothing  wool. 

Class  2.     Combing  wools. 

Class  3.     Carpet  wools,  and  other  similar  wools. 

The  hair  of  the  alpaca,  and  goat,  were  placed  in  class  2,  and 
the  duty  was  made,  ten  cents  per  pound,  and  eleven  per  cent,  ad- 


i62.  A  Nezv  Industry. 

valorem,  when  of  the  value  of  thirty-two  cents  per  pound  or 
less;  and  above  thirty-two  cents  per  pound,  the  duty  was  to  be 
twelve  cents  per  pound,  with  ten  per  cent,  ad  valorem  added," 
which  was,  practically,  the  same  as  the  duty  in  the  former  tariff 
See  S.  L.,  Vol.  14,  Chap.  CXCVII,  Sec.  1. 

By  the  act  of  March  3rd,  1883,  the  tariff  was  again  altered, 
so  as  to  reduce  the  duty  on  goat  h?ir  to  "ten  cents  per  pound 
when  of  the  value  of  thirty  cents  per  pound,  and  twelve  ce.xS 
per  pound  when  the  value  should  exceed  thirty  cents  per  pound." 
There  was  no  ad  valorem  duty  connected,  as  in  the  act  of  18G7 
svhich  practically  reduced  the  tariff  on  mohair  about  three  cents 
per  pound.  But,  the  most  significent  change  in  this  tariff,  was 
that  of  arranging  the  duty  according  to  the  conditions  in  which 
wool,  alpaca,  and  goat's  hair,  was  imported.  If  it  was  imported 
in  its  "natural  condition,"  the  above  duties  of  ten,  and  twelve  cents, 
respectively,  were  to  be  paid;  but,  if  imported  in  a  "washed" 
condition,  the  duty  was  to  be  double,  or  twenty  and  twenty- 
four  cents  per  pound ;  and,  if  "scoured,"  it  was  to  be  three  times 
as  great  as  if  it  were  to  be  imported  in  its  "natural  condition," 
which  would  be  equivalent  to  "thirty  cents  per  pound  on  wool 
of  a  value  of  thirty  cents  per  pound,  and  thirty-six  cents  per 
pound  when  the  value  exceeded  thirty  cents  per  pound."  See 
S.  L.,  Vol.  32,  Chap.  CXXI,  Schedule  K. 

The  act  of  October  1st,  1890,  levied  a  specific  duty  of 
"twelve  cents  per  pound  on  goat's  hair,  alpaca,  and  camel's  hair," 
making  the  same  provisions  as  in  the  act  of  1883,  for  wools  and 
hair,  that  are  imported  in  a  different  form  than  the  original 
condition.     See  S.  L.,  Vol.  26,  Chap.  1244,  Schedule  K. 

The  tariff  act  of  August  27th,  1894,  under  Mr.  Grover  Cleve- 
land's administration,  placed  wool,  and  goat's  hair,  upon  the 
free  list,  and  the  succeeding  administration  of  Mr.  Wm.  Mc- 
Kinley  restored  it  to  the  tariff,  together  with  wool,  and  other 
animal  fibres,  imposing  a  duty  of  twelve  cents  per  pound,  with 
the  same  terms  respecting  conditions,  etc.,  as  in  the  act  of 
1883  and  1890,  which  is  in  force  at  the  present  time. 

The  general  purpose  of  the  tariff,  of  course,  is  to  obtain  a 
necessary  revenue  to  support  the  government  upon,  and  from 


Tariff  on  Mohair,  Live  Goats,  and  Angora  Skins.  /(5j 

a  review  of  the  foregoing  extracts  from  our  several  tariff  laws 
it  is  quite  evident  that  mohair  has  never  attracted  the  attention 
of  Congress  in  any  other  sense  than  as  a  revenue-producing 
article.  The  fact  that  it  has  always  been  classified  with  the 
"hair  of  the  camel,  alpaca,  and  other  like  animals,"  neither  of 
which  have  ever  been  introduced  into  this  country,  with  a  view 
of  propagating  the  animal,  for  their  hair,  is  prima  facie  evidence 
of  this.  But,  there  is  another  purpose  in  the  tariff,  as  I  under- 
stand it,  which  is,  to  foster,  and  encourage,  such  industries  as  our 
country  is  capable  of  carrying  on  successfully,  and  I  think  the 
experience  of  the  past  thirty-eight  years  in  the  United  States,. 
has  clearly  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  such  a  policy.  If  the 
United  States  is  capable  of  producmg  an  article  it  is  certainly 
great  folly  to  purchase  it  abroad ;  and,  if  we  are  capable  of  pro- 
ducing mohair,  there  is  certainly  no  sense  in  buying  it  from 
Turkey,  or  South  Africa.  The  American  farmer  is  entitled  to 
the  revenue  from  this  branch  of  agriculture,  and  it  is  an  injury 
to  the  country  at  large  if  we  do  not  produce  it  upon  our  own 
soil. 

The  question  to  be  considered  then,  is  :  "What  amount  of 
duty  should  be  placed  on  mohair  ?" 

As  a  rule,  the  tarifif  upon  all  products  is  governed  by  the 
cost  of  producing  it  in  other  countries,  and  is  adjusted  so  as  to 
place  the  United  States  producer  upon  an  equal  footing  with 
the  most  favored  nation  on  the  globe.  For  instance,  wool  can 
be  produced,  and  sold,  profitably,  in  some  countries  for  five 
cents  per  pound,  whereas,  the  American  farmer  cannot  produce 
and  sell  it  for  less  than  seventeen  cents  per  pound ;  hence,  unless 
a  duty  of  twelve  cents  is  levied  upon  foreign  wool,  it  is  evident 
the  American  farmer  will  not  be  able  to  compete  in  producing 
it,  and  will  gradually  drop  out  of  the  business. 

As  to  the  cost  of  raising  mohair,  I  have  no  doubt  the  pres- 
ent tarifif  of  twelve  cents  is  quite  enough  to  equalize  this  country 
with  both  Turkey  and  South  Africa  (the  only  competing  points 
that  we  have),  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  but 
a  small  number  of  mohair-producing  goats,  and  if  we  expect 
to  de^'elop  the  industry  rapidly,  we  will  be  compelled  to  grade  up 


164  A  Nnv  Industry. 

the  common  goat,  which  will  require  several  years  of  patient 
labor,  with  little  or  no  revenue,  before  we  can  produce  much 
mohair ;  and,  to  encourage  farmers  to  undertake  this  tiresome 
task,  some  additional  duty  should  be  levied  that  will  satisfy  them 
they  will  be  compensated  for  the  delay  in  grading  up  the  animal 
to  a  revenue  producing  basis. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  product  on  our  tariff  that  can  so 
easily  support  a  high  duty  as  mohair,  for  it  is  consumed  alto- 
gether by  the  rich,  and  largely  by  wealthy  railroad  corporations 
for  plush  coverings  to  railroad  coaches,  who  can  well  aflford  to 
pay  a  liberal  subsidy  to  the  hard  working  farmers  of  our  country. 

Another  view  to  take  of  this  matter  is  the  spinning  capacity 
of  mohair,  as  compared  with  other  fibres,  which  are  on  the 
tariff.  Wool  pays  a  duty  of  eleven  cents,  in  its  "natural  condi- 
tion," and  when  "washed,"  it  pays  twenty-two  cents ;  and,  w^ien 
"scoured,"  thirty-three  cents  per  pound.  One  pound  of  mohair 
in  its  "natural  condition"  will  go  nearly  as  far  as  one  pound  of 
"scoured"  wool,  owing  to  the  fact  of  there  being  no  grease  in 
mohair. 

If  "scoured"  wool  pays  a  duty  of  thirty-three  cents  per 
pound,  it  would  seem  to  be  only  fair  to  make  the  tariflf 
twenty-five  cents  on  mohair,  which  would  be  only  a  trifle  over 
what  is  now  paid  on  "washed"  wool ;  and,  I  feel  certain  that  a 
manufacturer  will  spin  as  much  working  yarn  from  a  pound  of 
mohair,  in  its  "natural  condition,"  as  he  will  from  a  pound  of 
"washed"   w^ool. 

The  present  duty  on  silk  (raw)  is  fort}'  cents  per  pound. 
Mohair  is  largely  used  to  mix  with  tliis  fibre,  and  it  is  often  very 
hard  to  detect  the  adulturation.*  Indeed,  it  is  so  very  closely 
related  to  silk,  in  general  appearance,  that  a  tariff  of  twelve 
cents  on  one,  and  forty  cents  on  tiie  other,  would  seem  to  be 
entirely  out  of  proportion. 

Still  another  reason  why  the  government  should  aid  in 
developing  this  industry  is,  because  the  Turkish  government, 


*Dr.  Hayes  says:  "Mohair  yarn  is  employed  largely  in  Paris,  Nis- 
mes,  Lyons,  and  Germany,  for  the  manufacture  of  laces,  which  are  sub- 
stituted for  the  silk  lace  fabrics  of  Valenciennes,  and  Chantilly."  (Sec 
Hayes,  p.  39.) 


Tariff  on  Mohair,  Live  Goats,  and  Angora  Skins.  i6^ 

at  the  present  time,  prohii)its  the  exportation  of  any  of  their 
mohair  goats,  and  the  breeders  in  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa, 
have  recently  had  an  act  passed  by  their  Colonial  Parliament 
placing  an  export  duty  of  $500.00  upon  those  thai  they  have 
in  their  country.  This  will  practically  force  the  American  breed- 
ers to  relv  upon  the  limited  number  of  x\ngora  goats  that  we 
now  have  in  the  United  States,  which,  however,  will  be  quite  suf- 
ficient to  build  up  a  very  large  industry,  provided  the  business 
can  be  made  profitable  to  the  present  owners  of  stud  flocks, 
which  can  only  be  accomplished,  however,  by  encouraging 
others  to  improve  the  common  (Mexican)  goat,  a  course  that  was 
taken  by  South  African  breeders  in  the  early  days  of  their 
industry,  with  the  Boer  goat  of  that  country. 

In  addition  to  the  great  benefits  that  will  result  to  our 
country  from  mohair,  as  a  textile  product,  it  will  add  to  our 
supply  of  meat  producing  animals,  which  will  have  a  tendency 
to  keep  the  price  of  this  product  within  reach  of  many  of  our 
poorer  classes,  who  are  being  taxed  severely  now,  owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  beef. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Congress  will  take  a  liberal  view  of 
this  subject,  and  give  such  encouragement  to  the  producers 
of  mohair  as  the  industry  is  worthy  of. 

TAIIIFF  ON  LIVE  GOATS. 

In  connection  with  this  subject,  it  would  prol)ably  be  well 
for  Congress  to  remove  the  present  import  duty  on  the  common 
Mexican  doe  goat,  when  imported  for  the  purpose  of  crossing 
with  the  Angora. 

Our  present  supply  of  Mexican  goats  is  limited,  and  the 
value  of  them  will  naturally  be  greatly  enhanced  under  active 
competition  from  farmers,  who  will,  doubtless,  be  attracted  to 
this  new  industry,  which  will  result  in  benefit  to  very  few,  while 
the  removal  of  the  duty,  altogether,  will  benefit  a  great  many, 
and  will  greatly  facilitate  the  development  of  our  mohair-growing 
industry. 

'All  other  live  animals  not  specially  provided  for  in  this  act,  twenty 
per  cent,  advalorem." 


i66  A  A^civ  Industry. 

The  present  tariff  prevents  the  importation  of  these  animals 
except  upon  the  payment  of  a  duty  of  twenty  per  cent,  adva- 
lorem,  under  the  following  clause  in  Schedule  G : 

It  is  true  this  is  not  a  high  duty  to  pay.  yet  it  will  encourage 
the  importation  of  many  of  the  Mexican  does  if  it  is  removed 
altogether,  and  will  lay  the  foundation  for  a  much  more  profit- 
able and  useful  animal.  It  can  in  no  way  conflict  with  the  inter- 
est of  any  of  the  producers  of  goats  in  the  United  States ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  will  create  a  demand  for  thoroughbred,  or 
full-blooded  Angora  sires  which  will  be  required  for  grading  up 
these  common  goats,  and  this  will  result  in  much  benefit  to  a 
large  number  of  the  present  breeders  of  the  Angora  goat  who  are 
now  members  of  the  industry. 

TAR[FF  ON  GOAT  SKINS. 

The  present  tariff  on  Atigora  goaf  skins  is  as  follows: 

"The  duty  on  wools  on  the  skin  shall  be  one  cent  less  per  pound 
than  is  imposed  in  this  schedule  on  other  wools  of  the  same  class,  and 
condition,  the  quantity,  and  value,  to  be  ascertained  under  such 
rules  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  may  prescribe."  (See  Schedule  K, 
Clause  No.  360,  Tariff  law  1897.) 

The  above  action  was,  doubtless,  intended  to  protect  the 
raisers  of  Angora  goats  from  the  importation  of  mohair,  on  the 
skin,  by  manufacturers,  which  was  very  proper.  But,  there 
is  another  trade  into  which  the  skin  of  this  animal  enters  very 
largely,  which  is  of  vastly  more  importance  than  that  of  the 
manufacture  of  mohair. 

I  refer  to  the  making  of  carriage  robes,  bttggy  robes,  floor 
rugs,  overcoats  for  men,  etc. 

This  trade  does  not  give  employment  to  very  many  of  our 
people  at  present,  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  explain  later  on, 
but  it  can  be  made  to  do  so,  for  the  magnitude  of  the  business 
is  simply  inmiense,  and  may  be  surmised  when  I  say  there  is 
hardly  a  house  furnishing,  or  saddlery  store,  in  the  United  States, 
that  does  not  handle  more  or  less  of  these  goods. 

The  Angora  skin  is,  perhaps,  more  suitable  for  making  this 
class  of  stock  than  any  other  kind,  but  the  supply  of  them  is 


Tariff  on  Mohair,  Live  Goats,  and  Angora  Skins.  i6y 

not  large  enough  to  meet  the  demand,  and  they  are  more  expen- 
sive than  some  other  varieties  of  long-haired  goats  raised  in 
China,  India,  Persia,  and  other  portions  of  Asia,  consequently 
these  are  used  as  a  substitute.  These  have  a  coarse,  outer-hair, 
with  an  under-down,  or  fur,  which  is  fully  described  in  the 
paper  I  have  added  concerning  the  Cashmere  goat  (see  Ap- 
pendix), and  cannot,  therefore,  be  classed  as  mohair  skins,  which 
admits  of  their  being  ])rought  into  this  country  at  a  very  low  rate 
of  duty. 

Indeed,  they  are  permitted  to  come  in  free,  if  they  are  im- 
ported in  a  raw  state,  which  is  provided  for  in  the  tariff,  as 
follows  : 

"*  *  *  Skins,  of  all  kinds,  raw  (except  sheep  skins  with  the  wool 
on)  free.  *  *  *"   (See   Free   List  Clause   No.   6()4,  Tariff  Law,   1897.) 

But  the  labor  of  dressing  them  in  the  United  States  is  so 
much  more  expensive  than  in  Asia  that  they  are  always  im- 
ported in  a  finished  condition,  ready  to  be  made  into  robes, 
rugs,  and  garments,  as  soon  as  they  are  received. 

The  tariff  does  not  seem  to  have  provided  specifically  for 
"goat  skins,  dressed,  with  the  hair  on,"  but,  under  the  schedule 
referring  to  "leather,  and  manufactures  of  it,"  says  : 

"*  *  ■'  dressed  kangaroo,  sheep  and  goat  skins  *  *  *  "20  per  cent, 
ad  valorem.  *  *  *"  (See  Schedule  N,  Clause  No.  438,  Tariff  Law 
of  1897.) 

Which  appears  to  be  the  only  clause  that  these  dressed 
Asiatic  goat  skins  can  be  classed  imder. 

When  we  consider  the  low  price  at  which  stich  skins  are 
sold  (for  they  are  not  desirable  for  making  into  leather),  and 
the  very  low  scale  of  labor  that  is  paid  in  China  for  dressing 
them,  the  duty  of  twenty  per  cent,  ad  valorem  will  not  exceed 
more  than  five  cents  per  skin,  which  practically  amounts  to 
nothing  to  the  American  importer. 

If,  for  no  other  reason  than  to  protect  American  labor, 
the  tariff  on  these  goat  skins  should  be  revised. 

But,  I  m,aintain  that,  the  American  producers  of  Angora 
goats  are  made  to  suffer  serious  loss  by  permitting  this  inferior 


i68  A  New  Industry. 

class  of  stock  to  be  sold  in  competiiion  with  their  own  product, 
which  is  often  represented  as  being  one  and  the  same,  and  very 
many  people  do  not  know  any  thing  to  the  contrary. 

I  was  attracted  not  long  ago  by  the  advertisement  of  a 
large  department  store  in  Chicago,  who  claimed  to  have  "real 
Angora  goat  skin  rugs"  for  sale,  and  being  interested  in  the 
business  I  called  upon  them  and  was  shown  a  "white  Chinese 
goat  rug,"  for  which  they  asked  $4.00. 

I  remarked  to  the  clerk  that  I  wanted  an  Angora  goat  rug, 
when  he  frankly  said  they  did  not  have  any,  and  added :  "A  real 
Angora  rug,  like  this  one,  would  cost  you  $8.00." 

The  following  is  the  style  used  in  advertising  these  "Chinese 
goat"  rugs : 

"China  goat  rugs,  made  in  designs  :;s  shown  in  cuts  A  and  B.  The 
combination  of  colors  are  black  and  while;  black  and  gray;  white  and 
gray;  or  red  fox  and  white.  These  rugs  are  lined  and  odorless,  and 
handsome  enough  for  any  room.  We  also  have  the  same  rug  plain,  or 
solid  colors,  white,  black  or  gray."  (See  Montgomery  &  Ward's  cata- 
logue, Chicago,  111.) 

It  seems  to  me,  it  is  an  outrage  upon  American  labor  and 
enterprise  to  permit  this  tariff  to  remain  as  it  is.  The  American 
furrier  is  entitled  to  the  labor  of  dressing  these  skins,  and  the 
American  grower  of  Angora  goats  is  entitled  to  the  sale  of  the 
raw  skin.  They  are  both  entitled  to  protection  from  such  unfair 
competition  ;  and,  while  it  is  quite  true  the  grower's  are  not  able, 
at  the  present  time,  to  supply  the  demand  that  exists  for  such 
a  product,  they  very  soon  can  be;  but,  as  long  as  the  tarifif 
will  admit  of  the  Chinese  product  being  imported  at  such  a 
ridicuously  low  duty,  as  above  stated,  the  American  product  will 
naturally  be  depreciated  in  value. 

But,  another  view  to  take  of  this  matter  is.  who  are  the 
beneficiaries  under  existing  conditions  ? 

The  entire  trade,  I  understand,  is  monopolized  by  a  single 
concern,  or  syndicate,  in  New  York  City,  who  guard  it  with 
such  a  jealous  care  as  to  keep  out  all  competition.  If  any  one 
dares  to  engage  in  it  (which  has  been  done  on  several  occasions) 
they  immediately  reduce  their  price  Hst  to  a  point  that  will 
{orce  the  daring  adventurer  to  sell  his  importation  at  a  loss,  and 


Tariff  on  Mohair,  Live  Goafs,  and  Angora  Skins.  i6p 

the  result  is  that,  this  single  concern  have  managed  to  enjoy  ah 
the  benefits  from  a  trade  that  should  be  national  in  character. 

The  present  duty  of  tzvcnty  per  cent,  advalorcm,  as  I  have 
endeavored  to  explain,  amounts,  practically,  to  nothing.  It 
should  be  made  specific,  and  placed  at  such  a  point  as  will 
equalize  the  cost  of  dressing  a  goat  skin  in  the  United  States, 
with  the  cost  of  dressing  one  in  China;  and,  while  the  raw 
skin  of  the  Chinese,  or  Asiatic,  goat  is  not  the  equal  of  the 
Angora,  they  belong  to  the  same  species,  and  should  be  classed 
as  the  same,  when  they  are  used  for  the  same  purpose,  viz : 
that  of  making  robes,  rugs  and  garments. 

It  would  seem,  therefore,  if  the  tarilT  was  so  revised  as  to 
compel  these  importers  to  pay  aduty.  equal  with  the  present  duty 
paid  by  the  manufacturer,  who  may  import  the  skin  for  the 
purpose  of  cutting  ofif  the  mohair  to  use  in  manufacturing,  it 
would  be  more  just,  and  reasonable,  to  all  concerned. 

On  this  hypothesis,  the  duty  would  be,  assuming  the  skin 
will  shea:    four  pounds  of  mohair  : 

Duty  of  VI  cents  per  pound,  on  four  pounds  mohair.  .  .  .$  .48 
Difference  in  labor,  of  dressing  a  goat  skin  in  this  country, 

with  that  paid  in  China,  say 52 


Or,  a  total,  on  each  skin  of $1.00 

This  would  afTord  a  fair  degree  of  protection,  both  to  the 
American  laborer,  and  producer,  and  would  not  injure  the  con- 
sumer, inasmuch  as  the  importers  of  these  Chinese,  or  Asiatic, 
goat  skins,  demand  a  price  equivalent  to  American  labor  for 
dressing,  and  producing  the  skin  in  the  United  States,  as  soon 
they  pass  through  our  custom  house. 


PI.AT?:  XXXIX. 


PORTABLE  CAMPING  OUTFIT. 
Made  of  plank;  a  substitute  for  the  tent,  when  flocks  are  moved  to  different  rang 


Practical     Parts 

of    the 

Industry. 


o   =^ 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   SCIENCE   OF   BREEDING,    OUR    PAST    EXPERIENCE,    AND 
THE   RESULT    OF  CROSSING   THE  COMMON    GOAT    WITH 
THE   ANGORA. 

The  science  of  breeding  any  of  cur  domestic  animals  is, 
simply,  knozving  hozv  to  mate  them,  in  order  to  obtain  such  a  type 
as  the  breeder  is  wanting  to  produce,  and  this  knowledge  can 
only  be  acquired  through  a  series  of  experiments  coupled  v/itli 
the  very  closest  observation. 

During  the  past  hunderd  years,  certain  well  defined  prin- 
ciples in  mating  have  been  established  that  have  assisted  the 
breeders  of  the  horse,  cow,  and  sheep,  in  bringing  these  animals 
up  to  a  very  high  degree  of  perfection.  The  principle  of  "like 
begets  like,"  for  instance,  teaches  a  breeder  that,  by  the  selec- 
tion of  animals  of  any  particular  size,  form  or  color,  it  is  pos- 
sible, in  the  course  of  time,  to  create  a  distinct  type,  or  breed, 
very  different  from  the  original.  Upon  one  occasion,  in  refer- 
ring to  the  wonderful  change  that  had  been  made  in  the  sheep 
of  Great  Britian.  Lord  Sommerville  is  said  to  have  remarked 
that : 

"The  modern  sheep  breeder  appc-r.rs  to  have  drawn  a  perfect  form, 
and  then  to  have  given  il  life." 

The  same  might  be  said,  in  speaking  of  the  horse,  the  cow 
and  the  hog,  for  there  has  been  a  great  variety  of  breeds  in  all 
these  animals,  practically  created  by  man  in  the  past  century, 
and  in  fowls  and  vegetables,  the  changes  have  been  no  less 
surprising. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  animal  so  susceptible  of  being  im- 
proved as  our  common  short-haired  goat ;  but,  this  principle,  or 
law  of,  "like  begets  like,"  does  not  seem  to  operate  the  same 


//./  A  Nczv  I)idust;\ 

with  it,  as  with  other  wool,  or  hair  producing  animals.  For 
example :  the  mating  of  a  long,  coarse-wooled  ram  with  a  short, 
fine-wooled  ewe  sheep,  will  result  in  producing  a  medium  wool, 
both  as  to  length  and  fineness  of  fibre ;  while  the  mating  of  a 
long,  coarse-wooled  buck,  with  a  short-haired  common  doe,, 
goat  will  produce  a  kid  having  a  thin  coverin'g  of  short,  but 
pure,  mohair,  together  with  more  or  less  of  the  coarse,  short 
hair  of  the  mother.  In  other  words,  the  tw^o  kinds  of  hair  will 
not  mix  with  each  other,  as  is  the  case  with  the  sheep.  And, 
very  strange  to  say,  it  does  not  appear  to  make  any  difference 
how  coarse,  or  how  long,  the  hair  of  the  mohair  goat  may  be, 
the  cross  will  always  have  the  same  thin  covering  of  pure  mohair, 
of  a  short,  uniform  length,  and  much  finer  in  fibre,  than  that  of 
the  sire. 

The  only  explanation  I  can  advance  for  this  strange  con- 
dition of  things,  is  that,  the  flesh  and  blood  (the  soil,  and  fertil- 
izing elements,  of  the  fleece)  of  the  mohair  goat  are  of  an 
entirely  different  character  from  that  in  the  common  goat ;  and, 
the  i^roduction  of  this  thin  covering  of  pure  mohair  is  an  indi- 
cation that  only  a  certain  amount  of  the  mohair-producing 
l)lood  has  ]:)een  implanted  by  the  one  cross ;  for,  it  seems  to 
he  increased  by  a  second  cross,  and  the  fourth,  and  fifth, 
crosses,  will  make  the  two  animals  of  the  same  nature,  at  least 
as  far  as  outward  appearance  shows. 

The  experiment  has  never  been  made,  that  I  know  of,  but 
I  am  well  convinced  that  if  a  mohair  goat,  producing  a  coarse 
liair.  shotild  l)c  mated  with  a  mohair  goat  of  equal  purity,  pro- 
ducing a  fine  hair,  the  issue  will  have  hair  the  medium  of  the  two  ; 
and.  the  length  of  hair,  I  am  sure,  can  be  gradually  increased 
ill  the  same  way.  by  crossing  a  long-haired  buck  with  a  short- 
haired  doe,  the  same  as  with  sheep. 

IkU,  as  before  stated,  the  only  way  we  can  ever  hope  to 
arrive  at  anything  like  scientific  knowledge  in  breeding  the 
Angora  goat,  is  by  experiment  and  observation.  If  breeders 
will  exercise  the  same  degree  of  interest,  and  intelligence,  as 
their  predecessors  in  the  sheep  industry  have  done  in  improv- 
ing that  animal,  there  is  no  doubt  we  can  make  some  wonderful 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    lyj 

changes  in  the  Angora  goat  in  a  comparatively  short  time ;  and, 
perhaps,  if  we  were  to  investigate  closely  into  the  experience 
of  those  who  have  handled  the  animal  during  the  past  fifty 
vears,  we  may  be  able  to  obtain  a  great  deal  of  valuable  informa- 
tion from  their  work. 

In  1853,  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  reported  his  first  experiment  with 
those  he  imported  from  Asia  in  1849.     He  says: 

"On  my  arrival,  I  immediately  procured  a  number  of  our  little  dimin- 
utive native  female  goats,  and  crossed  them  upon  a  Cashmere  buck.  Their 
progeny  had  very  fine  hair,  but  little  longer  than  that  of  the  does.  I 
again  crossed  the  female  of  this  progeny  upon  the  other  Cashmere  buck, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  these  from  the  pure-breed,  and  the  sub- 
sequent cross  cannot  be  detected.  In  the  spring  I  contemplate  effecting 
still  another  cross."      (See   Agtl.    Dept.    Report   for   1853,   p.   20.) 

And,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes,  Col.  Richard  Peters 
says  : 

"One  of  the  most  valuable,  interesting  and  remarkable  traits  of  the 
Angora  is  the  rapidity  with  which  fleece-bearing  goats  can  be  obtained 
by  using  thoroughbred  bucks  to  cross  on  the  common  short-haired  ewe 
goats  of  the  country.  The  second  cross  produces  a  goat  with  a  skin  val- 
ued for  rugs,  mats  and  gloves.  The  fifth  cross  (known  by  many  breeders 
as  "full  blood")  will  yield  a  fleece  not  inferior  to  much  of  the  mohair 
imported  from  Asia  Minor.  The  fifth  cross  can  be  readily  obtained  in 
five  or  six  years.  Thoroughbred  bucks  should  always  be  used,  because 
the  progeny  of  the  so-called  "full-blood"  bucks  varies  greatly,  and  the 
upward  progress  is  by  no  means  satisfactory."     (See  Hayes,  p.  51.) 

All  the  early  breeders  in  Texas,  California,  and  Oregon, 
have  met  with  the  same  uniform  success  except  where  the  sire 
used  was  a  graded  animal,  called  "full  blood,"  as  Col.  Peters 
remarks. 

As  may  well  be  supposed  the  breeding  of  the  Angora  to  the 
short-haired  goat,  has  produced  a  very  dififerent  class  of  animal 
from  the  original ;  and,  as  the  same  custom  has  prevailed  in 
Turkey  and  South  Africa,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  there  are  any  of 
the  original  type  in  existence,  at  the  present  time,  in  the 
world. 

Mr.  H.  O.  Binns,  a  resident  of  Turkey,  addressed  a  very 
interesting  letter  to  Mr.  Schreiner  on  this  subject,  relating  to  the 
crossing  in  that  country,  in  which  he  says : 


1^8  A  Nczv  Industry. 

"I  cannot  say  when  crossing  began  to  be  general.  When  I  went  to 
the  Angora  distrcts  in  1804,  it  was  in  ;"ull  swing,  and  must  have  been 
commonly  practiced  for  some  years,  as  :hcre  were  even  then  many  more 
cross-bred  goats  than  pure-bred.  The  fact  that  these  cross-bred  goats 
were  in  large  numbers  and  yielded  excellent  hair  shows  that  crossing  had 
been  generally  resorted  to  a  good  many  years  back.  Even  at  that  time^ 
the  original  pure  Angora  was  becoming  very  rare.  Today,  he  is  probably 
extinct,  or  almost  so.  The  districts  outside  the  mohair-producing  region 
were  thronged  with  the  "'Kurd"  goat.  Angoras  were  introduced  amongst 
the  various  flocks  of  these  goats,  which  iu  due  course  were  all  graded  up, 
and  yielded  white  mohinr.  From  inquu-ie.s  made,  I  concluded  that  the 
Angoras  were  first  generally  crossed  with  the  common  goat  when  a  large 
European  demand  for  mohair  sprang  up.  after  unmanufactured  mohair 
was  allowed  to  be  exported,  and  lustre  goods  became  fashionable.  The 
result  is  seen  in  the  Angora  of  today,  which  is  a  product  of  the  cross. 
The  greatest  endeavors  to  increase  the  numbers  of  Angoras  and  to  pro- 
duce them  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  by  means  of  grading  up  the  com- 
mon goats,  were  made  from  about  l^'GS  lo  187G,  when,  not  only  the  other 
di.strictj,  where  the  Angora  had  never  been  before,  were  induced  to  buy 
rams  to  cross  with  the  common  ew-^s,  but  so  eager  were  the  farmers,  in 
Angora  itself,  to  incresase  the  number  of  their  mohair  goats,  that  com- 
mon ewes  were  actually  imported  into  that,  and  neighboring  disricts,  and 
graded  up  there  by  means  of  pure  rams.  No  wonder  goats  became  mixe<l. 
and  the  pure  goat  eliminated,  replaced  by  his  heavier-fleeced,  more  prolific, 
more  remunerative  cross.  These  endeavors  were  due  to  the  great  demana  •'■■i 
mohair  during  these  years,  for  the  price  per  pound  was  never  lower  than 
2s.  9d.  (68  cents)  except  for  a  short  time  in  1868,  when  it  touched  l's.  3d. 
(56  cents)  and  was  generally,  at  from  3s.  3d.  (.81  cents)  to  3s.  9d.  (93 
cents).  Thus  there  was  a  lar,ge  increase,  not  only  in  the  numbers  of  white 
mohair  goats,  but  also  in  the  area  over  wliich  they  were  distributed.  The 
common  goat  was  then  first  graded  up  in  such  districts  as  Eskischehr, 
in  Broussa,  Soungourlou,  in  Yozgat,  Devriken,  and  Tosia,  in  Kastamouni, 
and  sundry  other  districts.  So  general  has  been  the  crossing  that  not 
only  is  the  original  pure  Angora  extinct,  or  almost  so,  in  Asia  IMinor, 
today,  but  even  in  Beibazar,  one  of  the  very  purest  districts,  hardly  a. 
flock  is  to  be  found  which  does  not  contain  one  or  more  gray,  black 
or  white  common  ewes,  and  their  various  crosses..  Such  common  goats 
and  the  various  grades  between  them  and  the  modern  Angora,  are  much 
more  common  in  less  central,  less  pure  districts.  Throughout  the  whole 
of  the  mohair  districts,  any  ewe  (or  ram)  which  has  originally  come  from 
a  cross  (and  almost  all  have  now)  is  liable  to  have  colored,  kemped  kids, 
red.  blue,  black,  or  other  colors;  and  in  almost  every  flock  in  Beibazar, 
as  well  as  in  other  districts,  colored  kids,  the  progeny  of  white  sires  and 
dams  are  to  be  found."     (See  Schreiner,  pp.  83,  84  and  85.) 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora,    //p 

The  "Kurd"  goat  is  described  as  a  coarse,  straight-haired 
animal,  usually  black,  brown,  red,  or  blue,  in  color,  and  much 
larger  and  heavier-boned  than  the  Angora. 

Crossing  in  South  Africa  was  carried  on  very  much  in  the 
same  way  with  the  common  goat  of  that  country  (the  "Boer"), 
which  is  represented  by  Mr.  Schreiner  as  follows : 

"The  'Boer'  goat  of  today  strikes  one  as  an  animal  peculiarly  South 
African,  as  it  browses  on  the  arid  kopjes  of  the  Great  Karoo.  It  is  a  large 
animal  with  powerful  legs,  a  grand  carriage,  a  bold,  free  step,  and  wild, 
prominent  eyes.  The  coa*:  is  short,  smooth  and  coarse,  of  almost  any 
color  or  combination  of  colors,  frequently  b  ing  dappled.  It  is  extremely 
hardy,  fattens  readily,  and  carries  a  large  amount  of  flesh,  which,  however, 
is  pungent  and  strong,  and  unpalatable  to  a  refined  taste.  But,  in  up- 
country  districts,  in  desert-like  parts  of  the  Karoo,  they  are  the  most 
valuable,  for  there  they  are  often  the  only  kind  of  stock  fit  for  slaughter, 
as  they  keep  fat  when  other  stock  are  thin  or  die.  In  the  early  days 
the  'Boer'  goat  and  the  Afrikander  sheep  were  the  only  small  stock  posses- 
sed by  the  colonists,  and  this  goat  was  justly  held  in  high  estimation  by 
the  old  pioneers,  for  it  increases  with  great  rapidity  (triplets  at  a  birth  be- 
ing by  no  means  infrequent)  and  its  skin  makes  very  superior  leath- 
er, as  is  evidenced  by  the  constant  demand  in  the  tanneries  of  the  Colony 
today."     See  Schreiner.  page  172. 

And  Mr.  vSchreiner  adds  : 

"Such  are  the  'Boer'  goats  which  have  supplied  the  mothers  of  nearly 
all  the  Cape  Angoras.  The  service  they  have  rendered  to  the  Angora 
industry  of  South  Africa,  is  almost  incalculable.  But  for  the  fact  that 
there  were  several  millions  of  'Boer'  goats,  thoroughly  accustomed  to 
the  country,  to  furnish  innumerable  ewes  for  grading-up  purpos  s,  the 
industry  would  still  have  been  in  its  infancy.  As  it  is,  instead  of  increas- 
ing our  Angoras  solely  by  breeding  from  a  few  imported  animals,  we 
have  been  able,  within  a  few  years,  to  grade  up  some  millions  from  the 
good  old  'Boer'  goat  mother  stock,  whose  progeny,  already  outnumber- 
ing the  mohair  goats  of  Turkey,  and  nearly  as  well  bred,  now  yield  more 
hair  than  Turkey,  of  a  quality,  on  the  whole,  nearly  equal  to  Turkish, 
and  in  many  instances  quite  equal  to  the  very  best  that  Turkey  can  pro- 
duce."    See   Schreiner,    pages    174   and   175. 

Hence,  it  would  seem  that  the  Angora  goats  of  the  present 
time,  in  the  only  three  countries  where  they  are  being  propa- 
gated to  any  extent,  consist  of  a  cross-bred  animal,  as  follows : 

In  Turkey,  with  the  black,  red,  or  blue,  "Kurd"  goat. 


i8o  A  New  Industry. 

In  South  Africa,  with  the  short-haired,  mixed-colored 
■'I'oer""  goat. 

In  the  United  States,  with  the  short-haired,  mixed  in  color, 
"Mexican"  goat. 

It  is  quite  true  that,  the  progeny,  from  all  the  above  crosses, 
presents  the  same  general'  characteristic  as  far  as  relates  to 
the  producing  of  mohair ;  but,  to  a  close  observer,  it  is  evident 
there  is  great  difference  in  the  length,  and  fineness,  of  the 
fibre,  some  of  it  growing  twelve  to  fifteen  inches,  while  others 
only  reach  the  length  of  six  to  eight  inches ;  some  of  it  is  very 
coarse  in  fibre,  and  others  very  fine ;  some  have  wavy  hair,  while 
in  others  it  hangs  in  beautiful  ringlets. 

The  same  relative  difference  exists  in  our  sheep  family 
with  reference  to  wool,  and  it  would  be  very  surprising  if  such 
was  not  the  case  with  mohair,  for,  with  the  indiscriminate  cross- 
ing that  has  been  going  on  for  the  past  forty  or  fifty  years,  it 
would  be  a  most  remarkable  phenomenon  if  the  Angora  goat 
had  retained  its  original  purity. 

As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  there  has  never  l)ecn 
any  endeavor  to  improve  the  animal  beyond  that  of  raising 
the  greatest  possible  amount  of  fleece.  The  size  and  form  of 
carcass  appears  to  have  had  little  or  no  influence  with  breeders ; 
and,  as  long  as  the  one  feature,  mohair,  was  not  lacking  in 
quantity,  any  goat  was  considered  proper  to  breed. 

PVom  the  illustrations  in  Mr.  Schreiner's  book  on  the 
South  African  industry,  it  is  quite  evident  a  very  great  difiference 
exists,  even  in  the  selected  animals  that  he  has  used  to  repre- 
sent the  type  of  the  South  African  Angora. 

The  C.  G.  Lee  goat,  for  instance,  on  page  119,  with  its 
straight  back,  and  uniform  growth  of  fleece,  is  as  different  from 
the  one  bred  by  Mr.  R.  Featherstone  (page  105),  as  the  differ- 
ence is  between  two  types  of  Merino  sheep.  Both  are  very  super- 
ior animals  no  dovflDt,  yet,  after  reading  a  description  of  the  C.  G. 
Lee  animal,  it  is  quite  clear  they  belong  to  very  different  species, 
and  should  not  be  classed  together.  And,  on  page  145,  are  two 
very  handsome  young  Angora  ]:>ucks,  bred  by  John  Rex,  and  the 
late  J.  B.  Evans,  which  show  very  different  points.     One  has 


Breeding — Past  Experieiiee — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    i8i 

a  verv  full  tuft  of  mohair  on  the  forehead,  while  the  other  is 
perfectly  bare  on  the  forehead. 

Referring  to  the  Lee  goat,  Mr.  Schreiner  says:  "Mr.  C.  G.  Lee 
certainly  possesses  some  of  the  purest,  finest,  and  most  remunerative  goats 
in  South  Africa.  He  recently  wrote  to  the  'Eastern  Proiince  Herald,'  re- 
marking upon  the  undergrozvth  in  his  goats,  adding  that  it  is  the  finest,  and 
most  valuable  part  of  the  fleece,  being  used  by  manufacturers  in  the  place 
of  silk."     See  Schreiner,  page  lOL 

\^'riting  about  the  difference  in  the  Angora  goat  of  Turkey, 
Mr.  Diehl,  in  his  report  to  the  Agricultural  Department  in 
1863,  says: 

"There  is  also  a  second,  or  other,  variety  of  Angora,  or  shawl  wool, 
goat  besides  those  generally  described.  This  goat  has  an  unchanging 
outer  cover  of  long,  coarse  hair,  between  the  roots  of  which  comes  in 
winter  an  undercoat  of  downy  wool  that  is  naturally  thrown  off  in  spring, 
or  is  carefully  combed  out  for  use.  A  remarkably  fine  species  of  this  breed 
exists  throughout  the  area  to  which  the  white-haired  goat  is  limited,  and 
similar  br  eds  prevail  all  over  the  highlands  of  Turkish,  and  Persian 
Armenia,  Koordistan,  and  at  Kirman;  and,  although  some  flocks  yield 
finer  fleeces  than  others,  it  is  called  the  same  wool,  or  underdown,  as  the 
wool  of  Cashmere  and  Thibet,  and  samples  of  the  wool  of  the  Thibetian, 
and  the  double-wooled  goat  of  the  banks  of  the  Euxine  show  them  to 
be  but  varieties  of  the  same  species. 

"This  goat  is  of  a  larger  size  than  those  of  the  more  southern  Tur- 
kish provinces,  and  its  wool  finer,  and  is  probably  the  variety  introduced 
by  Dr.  Davis  from  Asia  Minor  as  the  'Cashmere,'  and  now  erroneously 
so-called  throughout  the  country,  as  all  the  importations  to  this  country, 
as  far  as  we  can  learn,  were  shipped  from  ports  on  the  Mediterranean, 
or  Constantinople,  several  thousand  miles  from  Cashmere,  or  Thibet, 
through  inhospitable  and  almost  untravelled  countries  for  Europeans, 
which  goes  far  to  prove  the  so-called  'Cashmere'  goat  to  be  the  'Angora.'" 
See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  for  18()3,  page  223. 

(If  we  are  to  understand  from  "unchanging  outer-eoz'er  of 
hair,"  mentioned  above  by  Mr.  Diehl,  that  it  does  not  shed  in 
the  spring,  it  may  explain,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  existence  of  a 
"non-slicdding  type"  of  mohair  goats  which  I  intend  to  refer  to 
later  on.) 

Mr.  H.  O.  Binns  states  there  are  no  less  than  thirty  (Mr. 
Diehl  says  there  are  forty)  different  kinds  of  mohair  produced  in 
Turkey,  but  attributes  it  to  diversity  of  climate.     He  says  : 


i8j  a  New  Industry. 

"With  such  a  wide  diversity  of  chmate,  it  cannot  be  expected  that 
the  mohair  from  the  whole  area  will  be  of  one  uniform  kind.  In  fact, 
about  thirty  different  kinds  are  produced  from  as  many  different  localities. 
These  localities  I  shall  call  'goat  districts.'  The  following  table  gives  a 
list  of  these  different  goat  districts.  Each  name  is  that  of  a  locality  which 
produces  its  own  peculiar  kind  of  mohair.  It  may  be  taken  as  a  prac- 
tically complete  list  of  the  principal  goat  districts.  After  each  name 
there  is  indicated  in  brackets,  whether  it  is  a  kaza,  which  gives  its  name  to 
the  goat  district,  or  a  town,  a  village,  or  merely  a  place  where  a  weekly 
bazaar  is  held.  The  distances  between  many  of  the  Jocalities  are  given, 
as  well  as  the  distance  of  each  from  the  town  of  Angora.  These  distances 
are  only  approximate,  but  are  accurate  enough  for  the  purpose  to  which 
they  are  applied.  Turkish  roads  are  reckoned  by  hours,  as  at  the  Cape, 
and  the  Turkish  'hour'  is  supposed  to  be  three  miles  (at  the  Cape  it  is 
six.)  This  has  been  taken  as  the  basis  of  computation  in  reckoning  the 
various  distances. 

"It  is  at  once  apparent  from  this  list  that,  as  has  already  been  said,  the 
mohair  area  is  practically  comprised  in  the  two  provinces  of  Angora  and 
Kastamouni;  and,  one  is  immediately  struck  by  the  fact,  how  short  are  the 
distances  that  separate  many  of  the  different  goat  districts  from  one 
another. 

"In  some  of  these  goat  districts  there  are  district  markets,  where  each 
of  the  leading  mohair  merchants  has  his  agent:  there  are,  Eskischehr. 
Sivrihissar,  Beibazar,  Ayash,  Nallikhan,  Geredeh,  Cherkesh,  Changura, 
Koniah,  Sivas  (and  Van) ;  Angora  and  Kastamboul  being,  of  course, 
the  two  great  markets.  But  every  goat  district  mentioned  in  the  above 
list  is  characterized  by  its  own  particular  variety  of  mohair;  the  hair 
grown  in  each,  has  some  special  characteristic  which  enables  an  expert  at 
once  to  distinguish  it  from  all  others. 

"This  seems  strange,  considering  the  short  distances  that  the  var- 
ious centres  are  from  one  another;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  cor- 
rectness, for  all  authorities  are  agreed  upon  it.  For  instance,  Mr.  Gavin 
Gatheral,  in  his  paper,  read  before  the  Royal  Colonial  Institute  in  1878, 
says  that  the  mohair  area  (he  makes  it  somewhat  smaller  than  Mr.  Binns) 
produces  more  than  twenty  varieties  of  hair,  each  of  which  is  easily  recog- 
nized by  experts.  Mr.  Binns  is  very  clear  upon  the  point.  He  says  that 
each  district  impresses  some  local  peculiarity  upon  the  hair  grown  in  it. 
He  adds:  'Goats  in  Turkey  are  constantly  being  sold  round  in  small  lots, 
so  that  an  intermixture  continually  goes  on.  Nevertheless,  though  out 
of  each  of  many  parcels  of  mohair  from  every  district  in  Turkey  I  could 
pick  out  many  places  which  would  so  much  resemble  each  other  as  to  defy 
the  best  expert  to  tell  which  was  which;  yet,  were  lots  of  a  few  bales  of 
the  average  mohair  of  each  district  placed  in  a  row,  and  cut  open  at 
the  side,  any  one  of  our  Constantinople  merchants  could  tell  which  was 


1S4  A  Xc:c  J)idustry. 

which.  And  \vc  who  have  Uved  some  years  in  the  town  of  Angora,  could 
tell  whether  a  small  lot  came  from  Hymane,  Elma-Dagh,  Stamos,  etc., 
though  in  some  cases  but  a  mile  or  two  might  separate  the  villages.  But 
this,  of  course,  the  Constantinople  merchants  could  not  do. 

"Again,  regarding  varieties  of  mohair  (and  necessarily  of  goats)  he 
says:  'One  cannot  say  they  are  exactly  so  many  types,  definitely  fixng 
:he  number,  for  there  are  endless  subdivisions;  but,  a  connoisseur  in 
mohair  can  tell  you,  from  the  bulk  of  the  bales,  when  opened,  from 
which  particular  district  it  has  come,  provided  it  has  been  sent  separately 
jrom  the  purchasing  centre  town  of  the  same  name.  Each  district  dis- 
plays a  general  type  of  its  own,  yet,  in  each,  or  most  of  them,  there  are 
again  other  subdivisions  from  the  class,  or  type,  of  which  a  local  agent  can 
always  tell,  in  a  moment,  where  the  mohair  originally  came  from. 

"Again,  each  district  has  its  own  peculiarities  in  class  of  mohair  suf- 
ficient to  enable  a  mohair  expert  to  tell  at  a  glance  from  which  district, 
or  village,  a  parcel  had  come.  But  there  is  sometimes  a  difficulty  on  the 
Constantinople  market  in  identifying  a  lot  of  hair  with  any  particular 
district,  for  the  hair  obtains  its  name  from  the  town  from  which  it  was 
sent  to  Constantinople,  irrespective  of  where  it  was  grown  or  purchased. 
Thus,  the  clips  get  mixed,  many  different  kinds  being  ranked  under  one 
name,  for  the  travelling  agents  go  from  village  to  village  making  their  pur- 
chases and  then  lump  the  different  clips  together,  and  take  the  hair  to  the 
best  market,  under  whose  name  all  that  lot  of  hair  is  henceforth  known. 
Thus,  if  the  Angora  local  market  be  higher  than  the  Kastamboul  market,  the 
hair  grown  in  the  kazas,  in  the  Ulgaz — Dagh  mountains,  goes  there, 
and  vice  versa;  and  thus,  a  part  of  the  same  clip  might  one  year  be  known 
as  Kastamboul  hair,  and  the  next  as  Angora  hair.  It  seems,  therefore, 
clear  that  the  only  reliable  testimony  as  to  where  the  hair  really  is  grown 
and  comes  from  in  the  first  instance,  is  that  of  the  local  merchants  and 
buyers  in  the  towns  of  Angora,  and  Kastamboul."  See  Schreincr,  pp. 
110-114. 

This  is  certainly  at  variance  with  all  authorities  upon  the 
subject  of  chmatic  influence  on  annnals  that  I  have  ever  read, 
and  has  been  clearly  disproved  by  the  experience  we  have 
had  with  the  Angora  goat  in  the  United  States,  which  has  been 
reared  in  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  in  lowdands  and  high- 
lands, in  hot  climates  and  cold  climates,  and  there  has  been  no 
perceptible  change  in  the  character  of  the  fleece  (except,  per- 
haps, that  some  has  a  much  smoother  feel  and  more  lustre  than 
others),  and  I  am  inclined  to  attribute  this  great  difference  in 
the   quality    of    mohair    in    Turkew    mentioned    by    Mr.    I'inns, 


Breeding — Past  Experienee — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    iS^ 

rather  to  the  course  of  breeding  that  has  been  followed,  than 
to  the  influence  of  the  climate.  It  is  well  known  that  the  color 
of  soil  has  a  tendency  to  stain  the  fleece  of  an  animal  like  a 
sheep  or  goat.  It  is  quite  possible  indeed,  for  any  one  familiar 
with  the  different  sections  in  Texas,  to  determine  where  certain 
wool  was  raised,  bv  its  color,  or  the  dirt  in  it.  I  know,  too. 
it  is  claimed,  that  the  West  Indies,  or  any  tropical  chmate,  has 
a  tendency  to  change  the  character  of  wool  to  that  of  hair,  but 
I  am  not  prepared  to  believe  this  itntil  I  see  it. 

There  has  never  been  any  scientific  efifort  to  produce  wool 
in  any  of  our  tropical  climates,  and.  because  the  sheep  that  art 
raised  in  Mexico  have  a  coarse,  hairy  fibre,  is  no  evidence  that 
the  heat  of  that  country  is  the  cause.  The  Mexican  is  known 
to  be  a  very  careless  breeder,  generally  permitting  his  stock- 
to  interbreed  at  will,  and  it  is  not  unlikely,  a  large  amount  of  this 
supposed  climatic  influence  is  chargeable  to  a  want  of  system 
It  seems  to  me  if  climate  had  any  material  influence  upon  the 
hair  of  an  animal,  it  would  have  a  similiar  influence  upon  the  hair 
of  a  human  being,  and,  we  all  know,  this  is  not  the  case,  as  for 
example,  the  African,  and  Asiatic,  races,  who  continue  to 
produce  the  same  kind  of  hair  the  world  over. 

The  Encyclopedia  Ih'itannica,  Volume  I,  page  84,  says: 

"Animals,  especially  the  higher  forms,  are  much  less  sensitive  to 
change  of  temperature,  as  shown  by  the  extensive  ranges  from  north  to 
south  of  many  species.  Thus  the  tiger  ranges  from  the  equator  to  north- 
ern Asia,  as  far  as  the  river  Amour,  and  to  the  isothermal  of  32  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  Wolves  and  foxes  are  found  alike  in  the  coldest  and  hottest 
parts  of  the  earth." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  a  cold  climate  has  a  tendency  to 
inerease  the  c[uantity  of  wool  that  an  animal  produces,  especially 
the  sheep ;  and,  the  experience  we  have  had  with  the  Angora 
goat  in  the  United  States  shows  that  it  has  the  same  influence 
on  this  animal.  A  warm  climate,  too,  has  a  tendency  to  reduee 
the  quantity  of  wool,  or  hair,  but  the  quality  is  always  the  same 
in  both  climates;  at  least,  such  has  been  my  observation  with 
these  animals  in  the  United  States. 


iSO  A  New  Industry. 

food,  in  my  opinion,  has  had  more  to  do  in  shaping  the 
outcome  of  an  animal,  than  cHmate  has  ever  done.  Not  many 
years  ago,  it  was  beheved  to  be  impossible  to  breed  any  of  the 
improved  kinds  of  cattle  in  Texas,  but  the  experience  of  the 
past  few  years  has  demonstrated  that  they  can,  not  only  be  pro- 
duced as  well,  but  can  be  fattened,  to  as  high  a  degree,  as  in  an) 
of  the  colder  States.  This  impression  doubtless  originated 
through  the  many  failures  of  ranchmen  who  turned  thorough- 
bred stock  on  the  open  range  to  hustle  for  their  living  with 
native  stock.  The  result  was,  very  naturally,  disappointing;  but. 
as  soon  as  proper  care  was  taken  to  get  the  animals  accustomed 
to  the  change  of  food,  they  thrived  quite  as  well  as  any  of  the 
natives  did,  and,  in  some  instances,  much  better. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  some  cattle  raised  in  Texas 
have  been  made  to  develop  into  larger  animals  by  transferring 
them  to  the  range  of  Montana,  and  other  Northern  Territories. 
This  is,  doubtless,  explained  by  the  more  nourishing  kind  of 
grass  the  animals  received  in  the  Northern  Territories  and  not 
by  the  change  in  climate.  The  best  evidence  of  this  is,  that  if 
a  horse  is  kept  up  in  the  North,  and  another  in  the  extreme 
South,  fed  and  cared  for  in  the  same  identical  way,  they  will 
both  present  the   same  general  appearance. 

If  climate  has  the  effect  to  increase  the  size  of  an  animal, 
why  is  it  that  in  many  parts  of  the  South  may  be  found  larger 
men  and  women  than  in  some  parts  of  the  North  ? 

It  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  blood  that  makes  both  man  and 
l)east ;  and,  if  proper  food  is  provided,  the  development  of  the 
frame  will  be  governed  entirely  by  the  class  of  blood  the  animal 
has. 

Water,  I  think,  has  more  or  less  to  do  in  the  matter  of 
development  of  both  man  and  beast,  and,  when  we  reflect  upon 
the  wonderful  medicinal  qualities  that  water  possesses,  it  is  not 
at  all  unlikely  that  many  of  the  failures  in  raising  the  higher 
grades  of  live  stock  in  the  South  is  due  to  impure  water,  as  well 
as  a  poor  class  of  food. 

In  parts  of  Virginia,  and  Tennessee,  native-born  children 
grow  to  be  larger,  and  heavier-boned,  men,  and  women,  in  one 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    187 

County  over  those  raised  in  the  adjoining  County,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  be  caused  by  difference  in  water.  Limestone  existing- 
in  one,  and  freestone  in  the  other. 

That  a  very  different  kind  of  a  goat  from  the  original  has 
resuhed  from  these  several  crossings  there  can  be  no  doul)t 
In  referring  to  this  subject,  Mr.  Schreiner,  quoting  from  Mr. 
Henry  O.  iiinns,  describes  the 

"Original  pure  Angora  ram,  in  his  prime,  as  about  the  size  of  a  five 
months'  old  Cape  kid,  with  small  thin  horns,  wooled  all  over  the  body, 
the  hair  almost  covering  the  eyes,  exceedingly  delicate,  and  so  subject  to 
disease  that  no  one  cared  to  keep  him.  What  is  today  called  the  pure- 
bred Angora  is  like  the  English  thoroughbred  horse,  the  result  of  cross- 
ing and  re-crossing,  until  body,  class,  points,  etc.,  have  attained  to  what 
is  generally  considered  that  the  thoroughbred  Angora  ought  to  be.  This 
pretty  little  animal  did  well  to  give  2i/<  pounds  of  hair."  See  Schreiner 
page  55. 

And.  referring  to  the  effects  of  the  crossing,  Mr.  Schreiner 
admits 

"There  is  at  tnies  some  considerable  variation  in  the  shape  of  horns. 
*  *  The  ears,  though  the  lop  ears  predominate  there  is  much  difference 
in  their  droop;  and,  in  their  size,  'mouse  cars'  being  by  no  means  infre- 
quent; -'■  *  and  such  defects  of  covering,  style  of  locks,  etc.,  are  evident- 
ly, in  the  main,  due  to  the  Angora  having  been  crossed  with  the  common 
goat,  and  to  a  less  extent  (at  any  rate  in  Asia  Minor)  with  other  varieties. 
Another  different  effect  of  crossing  may  be  mentioned  as  of  great  impor- 
tance, which  is  that  the  modern  Angora  often  has  two  kids  at  r.  birth." 
See  Schreiner,  pages  103  and  I'U. 

It  is  Mr.  Schreiner's  opinion,  too,  that, 

"This  breed  which  is  not  yet  quite  fixed,  but  is  gradually  tending  to 
become  so,  is  a  larger,  somewhat  coarser,  hardier  breed,  with  an  oilier 
and  much  heavier  fleece,  which,  though,  not  attaining  to  the  high  level  of 
that  of  the  original  pure  Angora,  is  nevertheless,  in  the  best  specimens, 
of  great  beauty  and  excellence,  and  equal  to  the  most  exacting  demands 
of  the  purest  mohair  manufacturing  trade.  *  *  The  ideal  goat  in 
Turkey,  today,  has  a  leady-white  tint  of  fleece,  while,  in  the  Cape,  the 
tendency   is  tovv'ards  strazv  color."     See   Schreiner,  page   lOG. 


CASHMERE,  on  ANGORA. 

In  connection  with  the  breeding  of  the  Angora  goat  in  the 
United  States,  it  may  be  proper  to  state,  that  at  least  a  portion 


7,V,V  A  AVt^'  Indiislry. 

of  the  goats  that  Dr.  Davis  imported  in  1849,  were  of  the  Thibet, 
and  Cashmere,  breed,  for  he  says,  in  liis  letter  to  the  Agrieultural 
Department  in  1S,t;5: 

"I  will  now  introduce  the  Thibet  shawl  goat,  belonging  to  the  cold- 
est regions.  I  accidentally  came  into  possession  of  a  pair  of  these 
animals,  but  lost  the  male.  I  have  a  considerable  increase  from  the  fe- 
male, bred  with  a  'Cashmere  buck.'  The  'Thibet'*  goat  has,  under  a  long 
coarse  hair,  a  coat  of  beautiful  white  wool,  which  when  combed,  makes 
about  a  pound  to  the  fleece.  I  had  these  specimens  with  me  at  the  Zoo- 
logical Gardens  in  London,  and,  in  comparing  them  with  a  stufifed  spec- 
men  of  a  Rocky  Mountain  goat,  I  could  not  discern  the  slightest  differ- 
ence, nor  do  I  yet  see  any  change  of  the  first  cross  of  the  'Cashmere' 
buck  upon  my  'Thibet'  doe,  but  in  the  third  cross  upon  the  'Cashmere'  we 
may  expect  a  valuable  experiment  by  changing  the  fine  under  wool  or 
down,  into  a  conjoint  and  uniform  covering  of  wool.'  See  Agtl.  Dept. 
Report  for  1853,  page  21. 

Bearing  on  this  matter,  the  following  letter  from  Col.  Zim- 
merman Davis,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Charleston  Water 
Works,  and  a  nephew  of  Dr.  Davis,  wih  be  interesting. 

Charleston,  S.  C,  Sept.  8th,  1899. 
Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

Dear  Sir — I  am  in  receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  1st  inst.  in  regard  to 
ihe  'Cashmere'  and  'Angora'  goats  imported  by  my  uncle,  Dr.  James  B. 
Davis,  in  1849. 

"I  was  a  lad,  fifteen  years  old,  when  my  uncle  and  his  family  return- 
ed from  Turkey,  with  the  animals  he  imported.  He  staid  for  some  time 
at  my  father's  house  here  in  Charleston,  and  the  animals  were  kept  in  the 
yard.  They  were  a  small  flock  of  'Cashmere'  goats,  one  large  'Thibet' 
and  a  Maltese  Jack. 

"The  'Thibet'  goat  had  two  qualities  of  hair,  the  coarser  quality  being 
the  longest,  the  finer  quality  being  under,  and  next  to  the  skin.  I  remem- 
ber that  my  aunt  and  her  daughter  would  separate  the  two  qualities  by 
hand,  so  as  to  get  a  higher  price  for  the  fleece.  I  never  heard  the  'Cash- 
mere' called  'Angora'  by  him. 

"After  a  residence  for  some  time  in  Charleston  and  vicinity,  Dr. 
Davis  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Columbia,  S.  C.  and  after  some  years  he 
moved  back  to  his  original  home  in  Monticello.  in  Fairfield  county,  where 
he  died  about  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war.  I  remember  that  he,  several 
times  sold  a  trio  (a  buck  and  two  ewes)  for  $1500.00.  He  was  also  the 
first  to  cross  the  'Cashmere'  upon  the  native  goat  in  order  to  make  them 


'See  plate  HI. 


-      -5  E-E^ 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  llieAiigora.    I'.U 

hardy  and  acclimated,  and,  I  think  that  he  considered  the  'seven-eighths 
Cashmere'  as  good  and  hardier  than  the  full  blood.  He  sold  out  his  en- 
tire stock  to  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  previous  to  his  death. 

Yours  very  truly, 

ZIMMERMAN  DAVIS. 

Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes  (18GS)  gives  the  experience  of  Col.  Robt. 
W.  Scott,  of  Frankfort,  Ky.,  who  was  celebrated  as  a  scientific 
breeder,  and  the  creator  of  what  is  known  as  the  "improved  Ken- 
tucky sheep,"  who  describes  the  animals  he  had  "as  having  two 
coats  of  hair\"  but,  of  a  very  different  kind  from  the  sort  Col. 
Davis  describes  ;  and,  as  his  goats  came  from  the  Davis  impor- 
tation, it  is  quite  evident  that  a  change  had  taken  place  in  the 
character  of  the  fleece  they  produced  since  he  had  been  breed- 
ing them. 

The  following  report  on  the  "Davis  goats"  (then  owned  b} 
Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Georgia,)  was  made  at  the  New  York 
State  Fair,  held  in  New  York  City  in  1854: 

"The  undersigned  cannot  avoid  the  conclusion,  that  in  the  goats  im- 
ported, and  whose  descendants  have  been  the  subjects  of  this  examination, 
we  have  the  first  known  specimens  of  that  valuable  race  of  animals  from 
whose  hairy  fleece  the  celebrated  shawls  are  manufactured,  known  in  com- 
merce by  the  inappropriate  name  of  'red  camel's  hair.'  As  the  fleece  does 
not  appear'  to  have  deteriorated  in  the  comparatively  warm  climate  of 
South  Carolina,  the  distinctive  character  of  the  race  is  hard  to  be  oblitera- 
'ed,  while  in  the  northern  region  of  the  United  States,  this  character  can 
not  well  fail  to  be  permanent.  Viewed  in  this  light,  the  introduction 
of  this  animal  promises  to  be  of  more  value  to  the  agriculture  of  the  Uni- 
ted Siatcs  than  that  of  almost  any  other  domestic  animal."  See  U.  S. 
Agtl.  Dept.  1863,  page  2-28. 

JAMES  REN  WICK, 
JOSEl'H  K.  CHILTON, 
W.  H.  ELLIOTT. 

Here  is  an  extract  from  a  report  of  the  special  committc 
appointed  by  the  "American  Institue,"  at  their  exhibition  in  Ncv; 
York   City,   in    1855: 

"They  have  examined  with  much  interest  the  fleece  submitted  to  them, 
and,  as  well  from  their  own  observations,  as  from  the  results  of  a  micro- 
scopic examination  made  and  certified  to  by  several  gentlemen  of  scien- 
tific eminence  well  known  to  them,  are  convinced  that  the  fibre  of  these 


igz  A  A'rzc  Industry. 

fleeces  is  identical  in  character,  and  fully  equal  in  value  to  that  from 
which  the  highly  prized  Cashmere  shawls  are  made.  The  fleeces  on  exhi- 
bition, and  now  under  examination,  amount  to  from  four  to  eight  pounds 
each.  The  enterprise  exhibited  by  the  introduction  of  these  animals  into 
this  country,  and  their  propagation,  cannot  be  too  highly  regarded. 

First  These  animals  are  long  lived,  such  being  the  case  with  the 
whole  goat  race. 

Second.  They  are  prolific,  breeding  at  the  age  of  one  year,  with  a 
period  of  gestation  of  about  five  months  and  yielding  twins  almost  uni- 
versally after  the  first  birth. 

"Third.  They  arc  Iiardy.  experience  having  shown  that  they  will 
thrive  well  in  our  climate  from  Georgia  to  New  England,  and  that  they 
require  coarse  and  cheap  food,  as  the  inferior  grasses,  briers,  l)ushes, 
etc.,  such  as  is  refused  by  other  grazing  animals. 

"Fourth.  They  produce  a  fleece  of  from  four  to  eight  pounds,  val- 
ued at  from  $6.00  to  $8.00  per  pound  in  France  or  Paisley,  Scotland,  for 
tJie  manufacture  of  those  high-priced  shawls.  These  fleeces  can  be  pro- 
duced when  the  animals  become  numerous,  at  a  less  cost  than  the  com- 
mon sheep's  wool,  and  far  superior  to  it. 

■'Another  fact  of  great  practical  value  to  our  agricultural  interests 
is  the  facility  with  which  the  Cashmere  goats  breed  with  the  common 
goats  of  our  country.  From  these,  and  other,  considerations,  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  which  your  committe  have  entire  confidence,  it  will  be  obvious 
that  every  encouragement  should  be  shown  this  new  enterprise — a  bold, 
and  judicious,   movement."     (See  U.   S.   Agtl.   Report,   1803,^  p.  22S.) 

B    P.  JOHXSOX. 
CHARLES  J.  GOODKICn, 
JAMES  J.  MAPES. 

We  aild  a  few  extracts  froni  some  of  the  various  and  val- 
uable published  reports  made  upon  this  subject,  showing  the 
interest  it  has  attracted  from  time  to  time. 

The  following  report  on  Cashmere  goats  was  made  at  the 
exhibition  of  the  United  States  Agricultural  Society,  held  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  185G,  at  which  a  special  premium  of  $1UO.OO 
was  awarded  to  Richard  Peters,  of  Georgia:  (From  Diehl's 
paper  on  "The  C^ioat.") 

"They  have  become  known  as  'Cashmere'  goats  from  the  pure  white 
color,  and  fineness  of  their  fleeces,  and  their  undoubted  Eastern  origin. 
The  fleeces  from  the  matured  bucks  weigh  from  six  to  seven  pounds, 
those  from  the  ewes  from  three  to  four  pounds.     The  flesh  of  the  crosses 


If; 


Breeding — Pcsl  E.vperieiiee — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora,    ipj; 

is  superior  to  most  mutton,  tender  and  delicious,  making  them  a  desir- 
able acquisition  to  our  food-producing  animals.  The  ease  with  which 
they  are  kept,  living  as  they  do  on  weeds,  briers,  browse,  and  other  coarse 
herbage,  fits  them  for  many  portions  of  our  country  where  sheep  cannot 
be  sustained  to  advantage,  while  their  ability  and  disposition  to  defend 
themselves  against  dogs,  evidence  a  value  peculiar  to  this  race.  They 
are  free  from  all  diseases  to  which  sheep  are  liable,  hardy  and  prolific,  and 
experience  has  proven  that  they  readily  adapt  themselves  to  all  portions 
of  the  United  States.  The  bucks  breed  readily  with  the  common  goats 
the  second  cross  yielding  a  fleece  of  practical  utility,  whilst  the  fourth  is 
but  little  inferior  to  that  of  the  pure  breed.  A  flock  of  valuable  wool- 
bearing  goats  can  be  raised  in  a  few  years,  by  using  grade  bucks."  See 
Agtl.  Dcpt.  Report  1863,  page  227. 

In  185G,  by  a  resokition  of  the  Southern  Central  Agricul- 
tural Association  of  Georgia,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
report  on  the  goats  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Richard 
Peters,  of  Atlanta,  (these  were  the  same  goats  referred  to  by 
Dr.  Davis  in  1853,  he  having  sold  them  to  Col.  Peters  in  1854) 
and  in  compliance  therewith,  presented  through  Dr.  John  Bach- 
man,  the  eminent  naturalist,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  their 
Chairman,  an  elaborate  report,  from  which  the  following  is  an 
extract : 

"Familiar  as  we  have  been  through  n  long  life  with  the  changes  pro- 
duced by  crosses  among  varieties  of  domestic  animals  and  poultry,  there 
is  one  trait  in  these  goats  which  is  more  strongly  developed  than  in  any 
other  variety  that  we  have  ever  known.  We  allude  to  the  wonderful  facil- 
ity with  which  the  young,  of  the  cross  betweeen  the  male  of  the  Asiatic 
goat,  and  the  female  of  the  common  goat,  assumes  all  of  the  character- 
istics of  the  former.  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  change  a  breed  that 
has  become  permanent  in  any  of  our  domestic  varieties,  whether  it  be  that 
of  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  or  hogs,  into  another  variety  by  the  aid  of  the 
male  of  the  latter.  There  is  a  tendency  to  run  back  into  their  original  va- 
rieties; hence,  the  objection  to  mixed  breeds.  But  in  the  progeny  of  these 
Asiatic,  and  common  goats,  nine-tenths  of  them  exhibit  the  strongest 
tendency  to  adopt  the  characteristics  of  the  male,  and  to  elevate  them- 
selves into  the  higher  and  nobler  grade,  as  if  ashamed  of  their  coarse, 
dingy  hair,  and  musky  aromatics,  and  desirous  of  washing  out  the  odor- 
ous perfume,  and  putting  on  the  white  liverv  of  a  more  respectable  race. 
Mr.  Peters  has  not  bred  any  quarter-breeds.  He  made  wethers  of  all  his 
half-breed  males,  of  1856,  and  sold  his  three-quarter  blood  bucks.  He 
now    owns     150    half-blood     females,     seventy-five     three-fourths     blood 


ig6  A  Ncu>  Industry. 

females,  and  six  seven-eighths  blood  females.  He  has  also  four  females 
three-quarters  Asiatic  and  one-quarter  Thibet  shawl.  There  appears  to 
be  no  improvement  in  this  mixture  with  the  Shawl  goat,  over  that  pro- 
duced by  a  union  with  the  common  goat;  indeed,  the  product  which  we 
saw  in  Charleston  from  what  was  called  the  'Cashmere,'  and  the  Asiatic 
goat,  was  decidedly  inferior. 

"The  half-bloods,  as  we  have  stated,  have  an  undercoat  of  tine,  downy 
wool,  closely  resembling  and  equal  in  quality,  and  quantity,  to  the  fleece 
of  the  'Thibet  Shawl'  goats  imported  into  this  country.  The  three-quarter 
breeds  in  mid-winter  show  an  undercoat  of  greater  quantity  and  length. 
In  both  grades  this  under-fur  drops  out  in  summer.  The  fifteen-six- 
teenths, or  one-sixteenth  common  goat  resembles  the  Asiatic  goat  in 
quantity  and  quality  of  fleece  and  size  of  carcass  so  closely  that  we  found 
it  impossible  to  distinguish  them  from  the  full-bloods.  Another  advant- 
age is  likely  to  result  from  this  admixture  with  the  common  goat:  The 
half-blood  females  produce  two  kids  at  a  birth,  and  the  three-quarter 
blood  females,  generally,  although  not  always,  two.  Thus  the  breed 
may  be  rendered  more  prolific.  We  here  perceive  in  how  short  a  period 
of  time  our  whole  race  of  now  almost  worthless  goats  may  be  converted 
into  a  breed  valuable  for  its  flesh  and  wool."  (See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report, 
1&57,  pp.  03-64.) 

It  will  be  observed  that  Dr.  Davis,  as  well  as  other  author- 
ities referred  to  above,  mention  these  goats  as  being  of  the 
"Thibet,"  and  "Cashmere;  breed,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
they  were  called  "Cashmere"  by  every  one  interested,  but  it  ap- 
pears that  through  the  action  of  cross-breeding  with  our  com- 
mon goat  the  fur  underneath  the  hair  disappeared  to  a  great 
extent  in  a  few  years,  and  finally,  disappeared  altogether. 

It  then  became  a  question  with  many  as  to  whether  they  were 
the  "Cashmere"  or  the  "Angora."  Dr.  Davis,  unfortunely,  died, 
or  perhaps  he  could  have  explained  the  cause  of  the  changed 
condition  of  his  goats.  At  all  events,  the  matter  remained  in 
doubt  for  a  number  of  years  during  which  a  very  considerable 
interest  was  taken  to  decide  upon  their  breeding.  In  Dr. 
Bachman's  report  on  them,  he  says : 

"This  animal  dififers  also  from  the  'Angora'  goat  to  which  it  has  a 
nearer  approach,  and  from  which  this  improved  variety  has  probably 
descended.  In  the  few  specimens  of  the  'Angora'  which  we  saw  many 
years  ago  in  Europe,  and  in  the  figures  now  extant  of  this  variety,  the 
cars,  compared  with  those  of  the  goats  of  Mr.  Peters  were  smaller  and 


Breeding — fast  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora,    igj 

less  pendulous;  the  tail  much  longer;  the  neck  covered  with  a  mane  of 
almost  straight  hair,  reaching  the  shoulders,  and  uniting  with  the  beard 
under  the  chin;  the  body  was  larger  and  more  goat-like,  and  had  less 
the  appearance  of  a  sheep  than  the  present  variety.  The  fleece  was 
equally  white  and  glossy,  but  more  than  twice  as  coarse.  By  what  local 
name  this  breed  of  goats,  owned  by  Mr.  Peters,  is  called  in  the  East, 
remains  for  some  future  naturalist  or  traveler  to  determine.  It  will  prob- 
ably be  found  among  some  of  the  varieties  spoken  of  by  Hodgson,  and 
other  travelers,  who  have  given  very  imperfect  descriptions  of  the  varieties 
existing  in  the  hilly  regions  of  Nepal  and  Thibet,  but  who  say  of  them: 
'One  character  they  all  have  in  common — pendent  or  semi-pendent  ears, 
more  or  less  prolonged,  and  in  all  the  hair  falls  in  long  masses,  sometimes 
twisted  into  spiral  ringlets.'  " 

We  have  adopted  the  usual  rule  among  naturalists  in  designating 
animals  by  the  common  names  under  which  they  were  sent,  leaving  it 
to  time,  and  further  observation  to  determine  their  true  place  in  science. 
Hence,  we  have  continued  the  name  under  which  it  was  imported,  which 
may  have  been  'Cashmere'  in  one  of  the  languages  of  the  East,  as  it  is 
.1  general  term,  the  name  of  the  country  which  is  known  to  possess  several 
distinct  varieties,  both  of  the  goat  and  sheep.  At  present,  we  can  only 
designate  them  by  the  general  term  'Asiatic  goats,'  or,  to  be  more  definite, 
as  the  'Da-jis  Cashmere  goats'  from  the  individual  who  introduced  them." 
See  Agtl.   Dept.   Rept.   1857,  p.  59. 

Col.  Peters  himself  was  long  in  doubt  as  to  their  real  char- 
acter, for  he  says  in  a  letter  to  the  Agtl.  Dept.  in  1855  : 

"They  differ  materially  from  the  'Thibct-shawl'  goats,  and  also  from 
the  'Angora'  goats,  although  they  may  prove  to  be  of  that  variety,  changed 
by  climate,  breeding  and  selection.  They  are,  in  my  opinion,  the  true 
'Cashmere'  goat,  a  variety  never  before  introduced  mto  Europe,  nor 
America."     See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  1855,  page  54. 

But  later  he  decided  on  their  being  the  "Angora,"  and  they 
have  gone  by  that  name  ever  since.  Dr.  Davis  seems  to  have 
anticipated  that  there  would  be  a  decided  change  in  the  charac- 
ter of  their  fleece ;  for,  he  stated  most  distinctly,  in  his  letter 
to  the  Agtl.  Dept.  in  1853,  above  referred  to : 

"In  the  third  cross  we  may  expect  ;i  valuable  experiment  by  chang 
ing  the  fine  underwool.  or  down,  into  a  conjoint  and  uniform  covering  of 
wool."     (See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report  1853,  page  21.) 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that,  the  goats  of  Dr.  Davis,  pro- 
duced one  pound  of  under-hair,  which  is  much  more  than  the 


ig8  A  Nciv  Industry. 

"Cashmere"  goat  produces  and  would  indicate  that  his  animals, 
while  possessing  the  same  characteristic  as  the  "Cashmere," 
were  of  a  different,  and  far  superior,  species,  as  the  latter  are  only 
said  to  produce  about  tz^'o  ounces  of  undercoating.  (See  Appen- 
dix on  Cashmere  goat.)  The  double  coating,  as  above  stated, 
disappeared  entirely  in  a  few  years,  and  there  has  never  been 
any  evidence  of  such  an  animal  in  the  United  States  since*  that 
time,  which  gave  rise  to  much  doubt  as  to  whether  Dr.  Davis' 
statements  concerning  the  character  of  his  goats  were  correct. 
In  a  newspaper  interview,  with  Col.  Richard  Peters  in  At- 
lanta, Georgia,  in  LSTG,  that  gentleman  says: 

"Dr.  Davis  had  fallen  into  error  as  to  the  native  country  of  his 
goats,  and  believing  them  to  be  'Cashincrc,'  quoted  their  fleeces  as  being 
worth  from  six  to  eight  dollars  per  pound  while  in  reality  they  were  'An- 
goras' whose  fleece,  known  to  commerce  as  'viohair,'  has  been  an  article 
of  import  into  Great  Britian,  and  this  country,  for  years,  and  held  at  from 
sixty  cents,  to  one  dollar,  per  pound." 

Wishing  to  obtain  the  most  authentic  information  upon  this 
subject  that  was  possible,  I  addressed  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Harriett 
K.  White,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  ]3avis,  asking  if  she  did  not  have 
among  the  papers  of  her  deceased  father  some  evidence  that 
would  be  likely  to  explain  this  matter,  and  the  following  is  that 
lady's  reply : 

■•Bry.'in,   Texas,    March  -Jti.    l!)00. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,   Ft.   McKavett.  Texa.^. 

"Dear  Sir: — Since  the  receipt  of  your  letter  I  have  been  trying  to 
obtain  the  information  you  asked  for.  I  have  recently  come  into  posses- 
sion of  a  small  trunk  of  letters,  and  papers,  and  I  think  it  will  aid  you  in 
your  work,  to  give  you  the  result  of  my  researches. 

Yours  very  truly. 
"H.\RRIET     K.     WHITE" 

The  following  are  among  the  extracts  from  the  newspapers 
that  Mrs.  White  so  kindly  has  su])plie(l  me  with  which  were 
printed  in  185G. 


*Since  the  foregoing  was  penned,  ]\Ir.  J.  C.  Hightower,  of  Ruidosa, 
New  Mexico,  has  sent  me  a  sample  of  hair  from  a  ten-year-old  buck, 
which  shows  the  two  coats  of  hair  very  distinctly,  which  I  shall  refei  to 
more  particularly  later  on. 


Breeding — PastExperie)icc — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora,    ipp 

From  the  "New  York  Country  Gentleman :" 

"We  are  under  obligations  to  R.  C,  Foster,  Esq.,  of  Nashville,  Tenn., 
for  samples  of  wool  from  'Cashmere'  goats,  from  the  ffock  of  Mr.  William- 
son of  Sumner  County,  Tennessee,  who  Mr.  F.  informs  us,  has  about 
thirty  of  these  goats.  The  wool,  or  hair,  as  we  suppose  it  may  more  prop- 
erly be  called,  is  a  beautiful,  soft,  silky,  article,  from  ten  to  twelve  inches 
in  length.  We  should  be  glad  to  have  the  history  of  this  flock,  the 
amount  of  produce,  etc." 

Then  follows: 

"The  i'ollowing  report  was  made  by  Col.  Richard  Allen,  late  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  long  and  favorably  known  as  a  wool  grower,  under  whose 
care  these  animals  were  placed  during  the  winter  of  18.>5-G,  being  the  iiisL 
winter  after  tliey  were  brought  to  Tennessee." 

"Gallatin,  Sumner  County,  Tennessee,  June  5th,  1856. 
'To  the  Editors  of  the  'Citltiz'ator'  and  'Country  Gentleman:' 

T  have  been  thinking  for  some  time  of  calling  your  attention,  and 
of  the  numerous  readers  of  your  widely  circulated  agricultural  journals  to 
the  recent  importations  of  the  "Cashmere"  shaivl  goat,  an  animal,  as  re- 
markable for  the  extreme  fineness  of  its  fleece,  as  for  the  enormous  prices 
which  it  at  all  times  commands  in  market.  The  first,  and  only  importa- 
tion to  the  United  States,  was  made  a  few  years  since,  from  Turkey 
in  Asia,  by  Dr.  James  B.  Davis  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  who  resided  some 
years  in  the  East,  and  procured  them  under  great  difficulties,  and  at 
much  cost,  and  personal  hazard.  They  have  been  recently  introduced 
into  Tennessee  by  Messrs.  Williamson,  Adams  &  Co.,  an  enterprising 
firm  of  public  spirited  gentlemen  at  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  and  are  now  on 
my  farm  near  this  place.  The  company  have  a  charter  of  incorporation 
granted  by  the  last  Legislature  of  the  State  which  is  doing  all  in  its  power 
for  the  encouragement  of  the  farming  interests,  having  in  successful  op 
eration  societies  under  the  direct  charge  of  a  State  Bureau,  in  the  three 
grand  divisions  of  the  State  in  connection  with  the  County  societies  in 
most  of  the  large  and  populous  counties.  The  fact  is,  Tennessee,  so 
long  behind-hand  in  that  public  countenance  to  these  interests,  is  now  far 
ahead  of  most  of  the  older  States  in  the  encouragement  and  fostering 
of  associations  for  the  advancement  of  agricultural  and  mechanical  arts. 

Most  of  your  readers  are  doubtless  familiar  with  the  history  of 
the  'Cashmere'  goat,  and  it  is  scaicely  necessary  to  speak  of  the  in- 
trinsic value  of  the  wool  over  that  of  any  other  fleeced  animal  known. 
The  most  fabulous  prices  at  which  the  shawls  have  sold  is  known  to 
almost  every  one,  often  approaching  thousands  of  dollars  each.  One 
of  the  chief  causes  of  its  high  value  is  the  unperishable  nature  of  the 
goods    manufactured    from    the    'Cashmere-wool'    surpassing   in    durabil- 


soo  A  A'czu  Industry. 

ity  of  wear  all  other  articles.  The  adaptation  of  the  animal  to  our  cli- 
mate has  now  been  fully  tested,  while  its  hardy  and  lively  nature;  its 
habits  and  self-protection  from  dogs,  and  other  enemies,  are  qualities 
which  highly  recommend  them.  They  can  be  raised  advantageously, 
and  thrive  upon  weeds,  and  briars,  etc.,  which  are  rejected  by  other 
animals.  Not  the  least  remarkable  is  the  manner  of  gathering  the  fleece 
which  is  pulled,  instead  of  being  sheared.  I  have  recently  weighed  the 
fleece  from  one,  and  it  turned  out  three  pounds,  ten  ounces  (3  lbs.  10  ozs.) 
semi-annually. 

The  entire  yield  of  the  Company's  stock  has  been  engaged  in 
the  City  of  New  York  at  $8.50  per  pound,  from  which  point  it  will  be 
sent  to  Paisley,  in  Scotland,  for  manufacturing  into  the  shawls.  I  beg 
leave  to  enclose  a  sample  of  my  raising. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  in  this  connection  to  remark  that  great 
credit  is  due  to  Dr.  Davis  of  South  Carolina,  for  the  enterprise  he 
exhibited  in  the  introduction  of  the  goat  to  this  country.  He  was,  at 
the  time  in  the  employ  of  the  Turkish  government,  at  a  salary  of 
$15,000.00,  engaged  in  experiments  upon  the  growing  of  cotton  in  the 
Sultan's  dominions.  He  went  out  upon  the  recommendation  of  Pres- 
ident Polk,  to  whom  application  was  made  by  the  Turkish  government 
for  the  services  of  some  competent  Southern  gentleman  familiar  with 
the   cotton    culture. 

While  there,  he  determined  to  procure  the  goat  from  its  native 
wilds,  'ihe  story  of  the  journey  would  be  tedious  for  my  brief  letter, 
and  I  will  merely  add  that,  with  an  expensive  outfit  at  Constantinople, 
a  perilous  journey  of  months,  and  the  loss  of  many  men  and  camels,  he 
succeeded  in  capturing,  and  carrying  off,  eleven  of  the  fam.ous  animals 
whose  fleeces  in  the  shape  of  shawls  are  so  highly  prized,  and  coveted 
by  the  ladies  of  all  civilized  nations,  and  for  which  prices  almost  start- 
ling have   been   paid   by   the   wealthy. 

On  his  return  home  Dr.  Davis  visited  London  and  exhibited  Ills 
flock  at  the  British  Museum,  attracting  great  attention,  an  account  of 
which  may  be  found  in  the  files  of  the  'London  Times'  of  that  date.  They 
were,  also,   afterwards  exhibited  at   Paris. 

After  a  careful  examination  of  the  whole  subject  I  can  not  avoid 
the  conclusion  that  the  introduction  of  the  animal  will  constitute  an 
era  in  manufacturing  which  can  not  fail  to  result  in  great  profits,  to 
those  engaged  in  it.  There  has  not  been  a  single  instance,  up  to  this 
date,  where  a  'Cashmere  shawl'  goat  has  brought  at  sale  less  than 
$1000.00  each. 

"RICHARD  ALLEN.- 

Extract  from  a  microscopic  examination  of  the  hair  of  the 
Asiatic  goats,  by  George  L.  Schaffer,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  Patent 
Office : 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Resitlt  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   201 

"As  the  history  of  these  goats  has  already  been  given  in  the  agri- 
cultural reports  of  the  Patent  Office  for  1853,  as  well  as  in  other  pub- 
Hcations  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  of  S.  C,  it  is  deemed  unnecessary  to  repeat 
it   here. 

"The  full-bred  animals  of  this  importation,  as  well  as  their  crosses 
on  the  common  goat,  have  been  sent  to  various  parts  of  the  country. 
Dr.  D.  C.  Ambler  of  New  York,  who  has  introduced  them  into  that 
State,  has  presented  the  specimens  for  examination  at  this  office. 

"The  value  and  good  points  of  these  animals  have  been  so  well 
reported  upon  at  the  various  exhibitions,  at  which  they  have  taken 
prizes,  that  I  shall  say  nothing  upon  this  subject,  but  proceed  at  once 
to  the  immediate  object  of  this  paper. 

"The  first  specimen  examined  was  from  a  full-bred  'Davis'  female 
born  in  South  Carolina,  and  carried  when  three  months  old  to  Water- 
ville,  Oneida  County,  New  York,  by  Di".  Ambler,  by  whom  it  is  now 
owned.  The  fleece  was  taken  when  twelve  months  old.  The  lock  ex- 
amined shows  a  very  beautiful  curled,  or  wavy  hair,  of  silvery  whiteness, 
with  a  fine  downy  wool  at  its  base.  The  hair  selected  for  representation 
was  ten  inches  long,  and  magnified  luur  hundred  times.  The  next 
specimen,  was,  from  a  full-bred  female,  born  in  South  Carolina,  and 
carried  to  Harper's  Ferry  in  Virginia,  when  four  months  old,  owned 
by  Col.  B.  Davenport.  The  fleece  was  taken  when  twelve  months  old. 
In  this  lock,  the  down-wool  was  somewhat  more  abundant  than  in  the 
former,  the  hair  being  nearly  as  long  and  a  little  finer.  The  third 
specimen  was  from  a  full-bred  male  born  in  South  Carolina,  similar  to 
the  former  in  the  hair,  with  less  down-wool. 

"The  fourth  specimen  was  from  a  second-cross  between  the  full- 
bred,  and  common  goat,  born  in  South  Carolina,  and  carried  to  New 
York,  when  four  months  old.  The  fleece  was  taken  when  twelve  months 
old,  five  inches  in  length,  exceedingly  beautiful  in  color,  and  texture, 
and  about  equal  to  the  finest  saxony  wool,  all  of  which  were  compared 
with  dififerent  hairs  from,  a  piece  of  shawl  stuff,  imported  from  Calcutta, 
and  said  to  be  the  finest  ever  brought  to  this  country."  After  which, 
Mr.  Schaffer  states:  "It  is  gratifying  to  be  assured  that  the  fleece  may 
be  raised  in  this  country,  with  a  fineness  closely  approximating  to  that 
which  it  has  ever  attained  in  Asia  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances. 

From  the  "Weekly  American  Banner,"  Yazoo  City,  Miss. : 

"We  have  in  our  sanctum  a  specimen  of  the  fleece  of  the 
genuine  'Cashmere'  goat.  Nothing  of  the  kind,  which  we  have  ever 
seen,  approaches  it  in  softness,  fineness  and  beauty.  It  is  long,  silky, 
silvery,  finer  than  spun-glass,  and  quite  as  glossy.  Those  of  our  friends 
who  have  a  taste  for  such  things  are  invited  to  call  and  see  it. 


202    ■  A  New  Industry. 

"The  'Cashmere'  goat  is  not  sheared  like  a  sheep,  but  the  fleece  is 
pulled  off  twice  every  year.  An  ordinary  fleece  weighs  between  three 
and  four  pounds.  The  New  York  price  is  $8.50  per  pound  making  at 
ieast  $51.00  a  year  for  each  goat,  while  there  is  no  cost  in  feeding  them, 
for  they  are  as  frugal  and  hardy  as  the  common  goat.  How  much  better 
would  it  be  for  a  company  of  our  citizens,  letting  cotton  alone,  as  much 
less  profitable  to  introduce  the  'Cashmere'  goat.  The  cost  at  first  would 
be  considerable:  the  goats  selling  about  $1000.00;  but  each  one  would 
make  a  return  of  five  per  cent,  while  the  increase  is  so  rapid  that  the 
profit  wouici  soon  be  a  hundred  per  cent. 

"The  cross  with  the  common  goat,  even  the  second  cross,  yields  a 
fine,  and  beautiful  fleece,  though  not  so  long,  and  fine,  as  the  pure  breed. 

"Our  coimtry  is  indebted  to  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  for 
the  importation  of  the  'Cashmere'  goat  from  Turkey  in  Asia.  He  was 
formerly  employed  by  the  Sultan  to  experiment  upon  the  culture  of 
cotton  in  Turkey,  and  while  there  he  succeeded  in  capturing  and  bring- 
ing home  eleven  goats.  No  others  have  ever  been  imported,  but  the 
'Cashmere'  goats  are  already  becoming  numerous  in  the  United  States. 
The  fabric  manufactured  from  its  fleece  is  not  only  beautiful,  but  the 
most  durable  in  the  world,  and  it  is  the  union  of  these  two  qualities 
which  makes  it  so  costly." 

From  the  "Presbyterian  Herald,"  Louisville,  Ky. : 

"Expensive  animals.  Among  the  'passengers'  by  the  Hudson  River 
Railroad  on  Saturday  were  two  'Cashmere'  goats  bound  for  Tennessee. 
The  Albany  Times  says  they  were  purchased  in  South  Carolina  at  $2600, 
and  have  been  exhibited  in  New  York.  Admitting  the  two  animals  to 
weigh  sixty  pounds,  for  they  are  diminutive  creatures,  they  would 
cost  about  forty-four  dollars  per  pound,  which  is  a  rather  extrav- 
agant price,  almost  equal  to  what  Esau  paid  on  one  occasion  for  a 
mess  of  pottage,  made  from  similar  meat.  As  the  wool  of  these  goats, 
however,  sells  for  eight  dollars  per  pound,  the  specimens  above  referred 
to  may  prove  a  good  investment." 

From  the  "Philadelphia  Ledger  :" 

"It  is  not  as  yet  generally  known  that  the  'Thibet'  goat,  from  whose 
wool  the  famous  Cashmere  shawls  are  made,  has  been  introduced  suc- 
cessfully into  the  United  States.  This  enterprising  undertaking  was 
achieved  a  few  years  ago  after  difficulties  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis  of  Colum- 
bia, S.  C,  at  that  time  employed  by  the  Ottoman  Porte  in  experimenting 
on  the  growth  of  cotton  in  the  Sultan's  dominions.  Dr.  Davis  succeeded 
at  vast  expense  in  securing  eleven  head  of  pure  breed  which,  on  his  way 
home,  he  exhibited  in  London  and  Paris.  Since  that  period  the  goat 
has  been  introduced  from  South  Carolina  into  Tennessee,  where  it  is 
said  to  thrive. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   20^ 

From  the  "Sumner  (Tenn.)  Flag:" 

"The  value  of  a  flock  may  be  estimated  from  the  fact  that  no  real 
'Thibet'  goat  has  ever  been  sold  for  less  than  one  thousand  dollars. 
This  enormous  price,  moreover,  is  not  a  speculative  one,  for  no  fleeced 
animal  has  wool  of  such  fineness,  softness,  and  durability.  The  wool 
of  all  'Thibet'  goats  in  Tennessee,  for  example,  has  been  engaged  in 
New  York  this  year  at  eight  dollars  and  a  half  per  pound.  The  pur- 
chasers desiring  to  send  it  to  Paisley,  Scotland  in  order  to  be  manuufac- 
tured  into  shawls." 

From  the  "Examiner,"  of  GalHiin,  Tenn. : 

"High-priced  wool.  The  first  lot  of  'Cashmere'  wool  raised  in  Tennes- 
see was  sold  last  week  in  this  place  by  the  agent  of  the  Sumner  Cashmere 
Company  for  $8.50  per  pound.  We  learn  it  is  to  go  to  the  Shakers  of 
Kentucky,  where  it  will  be  combed,  and  probably  manufactured  into 
textile  fabrics." 

We  were  shown,  a  few  days  ago,  a  specimen  of  fleece  from  a  half- 
blood  'Cashmere'  goat  raised  by  Dr.  James  M.   Head,  of  this  County. 

"It  is  about  three  inches  long,  of  a  silvery  whiteness,  and  about  equal 
to  the  finest  Saxony  wool.  It  is  interspersed  with  a  few  coarse  hairs, 
which  will  disappear  with  another  cross,  each  increasing  the  length  and 
fineness  of  the  fibre. 

Dr.  Head  has  refused  $200.00  for  the  kid,  the  dam  of  which  cost  him 
one  dollar  about  a  year   since." 

Numerous  other  quotations  might  be  made,  but  the  above 
I  think  are  quite  sufficient  to  prove  the  fact  that  the  "Davis" 
goats  did  not  eome  front  Angora  in  Turkey;  but,  were  undoubt- 
edly, a  different  variety  of  goats,  which  Dr.  Davis  had  probably 
learned  of  during  his  stay  in  the  employ  of  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment. I  reach  this  conclusion  from  two  circumstances  that  are 
abundantly  substantiated  by  the  testimony  I  have  just  given : 

First.  Mr.  Richard  Allen  states:  '•While  there  lie  (Mr. 
Davis)  determined  to  procure  the  goat  from  its  native  ivilds.  The 
story  of  the  journey  ivould  be  tedious  for  my  brief  letter,  aiid  I  will 
merely  add:  With  an  expensive  outfit  at  Constantinople,  a  per- 
ilous journey  of  months,  and  the  loss  of  many  men  and  camels,  he 
succeeded  in  capturinr/,  and  carrying  off  eleven  of  the  famous 
animals. "     "     *     * 

Second.  The  price  that  the  fleece  of  these  animals  sold  for 
is  uniformly  placed  at  $6.00  to  $8.50  per  pound,  and  was  sent  to 
Paisely  Scotland,  to  be  made  into  fabrics. 


204  A  Nczv  Industry. 

It  is  well  known  and  must  havo  been  known  to  Dr.  Davis, 
who  resided  for  three  years  in  Turkey  that,  the  ordinary  "An- 
gora" goat  was  obtainable  with  little  or  no  trouble,  within  a 
few  hours  travel  of  Constantinople.  117///  Umi  should  he  have 
fitted  out  such  a  laiffe  ami  expensive  exj)edifi(»i,  and,  have  con- 
sumed months  in  a  'perilous Journey'^ 

And,  as  to  the  value  of  the  fleeces.  It  is  well  known  that  or- 
dinarv  mohair  was  an  article  of  export  to  Great  Britain  at  the 
time  Dr.  Davis  was  living  in  Constantinople,  and  he  must  have 
been  familiar  with  its  market  value. 

It  was  quoted  at  48  cents  per  pound  in  185('i.  when  the  com- 
mittees of  gentlemen,  appointed  by  the  various  fairs  and  agri- 
cultural associations,  reported  it  as  being  worth  $().00  to  $8.00 
per  pound.  It  is  idle  to  suppose  that  these  honorable  gentlemen 
were  ignorant  of  this  commercial  fact ;  and,  to  suppose  that  they 
w^ould  sit  upon  a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  attesting  to  the 
merits  of  an  article,  and  fail  to  investigate  very  fully  into  that 
feature  of  their  report,  is  too  silly  to  admit  of  argument. 

That  the  animals  referred  to  were  of  the  character  des- 
cribed, there  cannot  be  the  shadow  of  a  doubt ;  and,  the  only 
explanation  that  can  be  advanced  for  the  change  in  the  nature 
of  the  wool,  or  tieece,  is  that,  fhroiKj/i  f/ic  ci-ossinr/  nf  the  jnnr 
breed  animal,  icith  the  common  short  haired  variett/  of  this  count  ry, 
an  entirely  different  class  of  stock  was  jiroduced  ivhich,  in  a  great 
measure  fully  vindicates  the  opi)iion  ex})ressed  by  Dr.  Davis  in 
18.5S,  ivhen  lie  reported  to  the  Agricultural  Department  that: 

"In  the  third  cross  upon  the  Cashmere,  we  may  expect  a  valuable 
experiment  by  changing  the  fine  under-wool,  or  down,  into  a  conjoint 
and  uniform  covering  of  wool." 

Bearing  further  and  with  much  greater  force  on  this  (jues- 
tion.  Airs.  White  writes  me  as  follows  : 

"Bryan,  Te.xas,   April    17th.    l!M)i,». 
'Mr.  W.  L.  Black,  Fort  McKavett,  Texas: 

"Dear  Sir — Your  valued  letter  of  April  8th,  has  been  received,  with 
my  father's  report  to  the  Patent  Office  in  1853.  Thank  you  very  much 
for  both.  I  return  the  printed  extracts  which  you  can  keep  as  long  ^y 
you  please.      T  shall  now  answer  your  other  questions. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    205 

"Bishop  Southgate.  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  was  Bishop  of  Turkey, 
and  while  the  Sultan  was  having  a  residence  built  for  my  father  on  the 
farm  where  the  cotton  experiment  was  going  on,  my  father  and  mother 
lived  with  the  Bishop.  The  conversations  were  varied  and  interesting, 
and  my  father's  interest  in  animals  being  known,  the  Bishop  told  him 
of  these  'Cashmere'  goats,  which  he  had  seen  in  Persia  and  India.  He 
had  a  native  friend  in  Persia  who  could  procure  these  'Cashmere''  goats. 
A  messenger  who  could  be  trusted  was  sent  with  a  letter  to  Bishop  South- 
gate's  native  friend  in  Persia.  He  obtained  the  pure-blooded  'Cashmere,' 
and  one  pair  of  'Thibet'  goats.  Of  course,  camels — generally  led  by  a 
donkey — were  as  much  used  in  those  days  as  pack  horses  were  once 
used  in  Texas.  They  came  to  Constantinople  from  all  quarters,  and 
"camels  and  men'  were  employed  for  all  purposes.  It  was  several  months 
before  the  goat  messenger  returned,  but  he  came  back  finally.  The 
goats  originally  cost,  in  the  remote  regions  of  Asia,  from  four  to  six 
dollars  apiece,  but  by  the  time  they  were  brought  to  where  my  father 
met  them  and  brought  them  to  the  farm  near  Sin  Stefans,  Turkey, 
and  then  brought  them  to  this  country,  via  London  and  Paris,  the  cost 
was  large.  He  sold  the  goats  at  $1,000.00  each— I  know— the  $100.00* 
was  an  error. 

"These  goats  were  pure  "Cashmere' and  one  pair  of  'Thibet.'  My  father 
was  very  particular  on  this  point  because  the  'Angora  goat  had  coarser 
hair.  Col.  Peters  and  my  father  discussed  this  question,  and  I  do  not 
believe  in  that  reported  interview  in  which  he  said  they  were  not  'Cash- 
mere,' The  'Cashmere'  had  very  long  fine  white  silk  locks.  The  'Thibet' 
had  an.  outer  coat  of  blue-gray  hair,  and  under  this  an  extremely  fine 
white  fleece.  I  do  not  think  the  goats  shed  their  fleece.  The  graded 
goats  had  fine,  beautiful  fleece,  and  in  some  crosses  the  only  way  to 
detect  the  cross  was  down  the  spine  where  some  coarse  hair  betrayed 
the  mixture.  Animals  are  like  plants,  more  affected  by  altitude  than 
latitude,  and  of  course,  in  the  process  of  crossing  on  common  goats  there 
would,  sometimes,  occur  a  'reversion  of  type,'  that  might  look  as  if  the 
'Cashmere'  was  not  all  that  was  claimed  for  it,  but  before  Darwin  this 
was  not  understood  as  it  is  now.  There  were  two  or  three  importations  of 
goats  purporting  to  be  'Cashiiicre,'  but  my  father  said  they  were  'Angora' 
goats,  and  of  a  coarser  fleece.  His  long  reidence  in  Turkey — three 
years — gave  him  time,  and  his  position  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  get 
what  he  wanted,  and  what  he  imported  to  this  countrj' — 'the  true  Cash- 
mere goat.'  I  know  he  sold  the  graded  goats  for  $200.00  each,  and  of 
course  he  got  more  for  the  higher  grades,  and  one  thousand  for  the  full- 
bloods. 


*This  refers  to  a  report  in  the  Agricultural  Report  of  1855,   quoted 
heretofore,  which  I  remarked  must  have  been  a  typographical  error. 


jo6  A  New  Industry. 

"The  'Scinde'  goat  is  in  the  picture,*  also  the  'Thibet'  ewe,  'Cashmere' 
goat.  'Water  Buffalo'  and  'Brahmins.'  The  Earl  of  Derby  said  to  my 
father:  'What  will  you  take  for  a  pair  of  those  'Cashmere'  goats?  I 
want  them  more  than  anything  you  havo.'  My  father  answered:  'You 
may  have  a  pair  for  a  certain  'Brahmin'  cow  in  'Surrey  Gardens,'  and  r 
male  'Brahmin'   (in  some  other  noted  collection).' 

"  'You  shall  have  them,'  said  the  Earl  of  Derby. 

'A  pure  white  Brahmin  bull  and  a  beautiful  sort  of  sorrel  heifer  was 
obtained,  and  exchanged  for  one  pair  of  goats.  These  two  Brahmins 
were  afterwards  sold  for  $4,000.00  for  the  pair.  You  will  see  how  highly 
these  goats  were  valued. 

The  zvatcr  oxen  my  father  brought  from  Turkey,  having  originally 
been  brought  there  from  some  other  country.  I  have  a  beautiful  group 
of  these  painted  from  the  original  importation.  I  took  the  picture  of  the 
goats,  etc.,  from  the  frame  and  carried  it  to  the  photographer,  and  he 
will  have  it  in  a  few  days  ready  to  send  you.  I  have  an  engraving  of  a 
goat  that  I  will  also  have  photographed,  and  I  will  send  them  to  you 
as  soon  as  they  are  finished. 

"My  father  was  in  Europe  three  years,  ranging  from  somewhere  in 
1846  to  1849. 

"If  there  is  any  other  information  you  woujd  like,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
give  it. 

"Very  truly  yours, 

•HARRIET  E.   WHITE." 

SOME  MORE  CHANGES. 
In  18G;5,  Mr.  S.  S.  Williams  of  Granville,  Ohio,  in  a  letter  to 
the  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  referring  to  his  own  goas,  says: 

"I  have  about  one  hundred  goats.  In  regard  to  the  breed  of  my 
goats,  whether  'Angora'  or  'Cashmere'  mine  belong  to  that  breed 
first  introduced  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis,  as  'Cashmeres,'  and  which 
have  generally  gone  by  that  name  to  this  day.  But  if  the  Cash- 
mere' goat  is  the  animal  bearing  a  coarse  hair,  with  an  under- 
growth of  only  a  few  ounces  of  fine  fleece,  then  mine  are  not 
'Cashmeres,'  though  known  as  'Cashmeres'  in  this  country;  and,  from  the 
description  of  Rees,  and  others,  mine  are  the '^-iHgoro,' for  they  describe  my 
goats  as  correctly  as  I  can  myself.  I  rest  satisfied  that  our  goat,  whatever 
it  should  be  called,  is  valuable,  and  I  care  little  for  the  name.  I  send 
you  a  sample  of  the  wool  of  my  buck,  Sampson,  which  clips  over  six 
pounds.  Of  course,  I  think  he  is  more  valuable  than  an  animal  yielding 
only  three  ounces  of  but  little  finer  quality."  (See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report, 
1863.  p.  226). 


^See  plate  III.  on  the  extreme  i-i;^hthand  side. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   207 

Dr.  Scott's  description  of  the  changed  condition  in  the  ani- 
mal is  peculiarly  interesting.     He  says  : 

"Like  some  furred  animals,  these  goats  wear  two  distinct,  and  dif- 
ferent ,  suits  of  clothing,  and  mainly  at  different  seasons.  One  is  short, 
stiff,  coarse,  and  of  no  commercial  value;  the  other  is  long,  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  blood,  and  is  lustrous,  soft,  silky,  and  elastic.  The  animal, 
is  born  with  the  covering  of  the  first,  which,  in  a  few  weeks,  drops  out, 
and  is  simultaneously  replaced  by  the  second,  or  the  fine  wool,  which, 
in  its  time,  also  drops  out,  and  is  similarly  superseded  by  the  first;  the 
animals  wearing  the  short,  coarse  hair  in  the  spring  and  early  summer, 
and  the  long,  iine  wool  in  summer,  fall  and  winter.  When  the  wool  of 
the  Angora  goat  is  being  shed,  the  cups  or  bulbs  in  the  skin,  which  pro- 
duced the  fibres,  are  also  shed,  as  well  as  the  cuticle,  or  outside  skin. 
This  is  a  great  peculiarity  of  the  'Angora'  goat;  but  a  still  greater  one, 
and  of  far  more  practical  importance,  is  the  capacity  of  the  bucks  to 
transfer,  or  impart,  this  rare  quality  to  other  goats  which  do  not  possess 
it.  The  males  certainly  have  this  power  in  a  high  degree,  and  the  female 
'Angora,'  bred  to  a  common  male,  will,  no  doubt,  impart  to  the  offspring 
the  same  quality,  but  probably  not  in  so  high  a  degree.  The  kid  of  an 
'Angora'  buck,  out  of  a  native  ewe,  invariably  has  in  its  skin  those  bulbs, 
or  cups,  which  produce  and  secrete  the  fine  tvool  of  the  'Angora,'  or 
wool-bearing  goat,  while  it  has  the  power  to  secrete  the  hair  also,  as 
its  ancestry,  on  the  dam  side,  always  had.  The  wool  of  goats  is  finer, 
longer,  or  thicker,  in  different  individuals  of  the  same  blood,  just  as  is 
the  case  with  sheep;  and  like  sheep,  also,  the  same  animal  produces  finer 
wool  when  young  than  when  advanced  in  life.  But  the  wool  of  the 
half-blood  kid,  or  goat,  is  of  a  standard  fineness  of  full-blood,  or  of 
purebred.  Angora  goats'  wool,  but  it  is  ;  hort.  The  wool  and  the  hair  of 
the  half-blood  grow  together  and  seem  to  constitute  but  one  covering; 
but  a  close  inspection  shows  the  different  fibres  issuing  from  different 
bulbs  in  the  same  skin;  but,  when  the  shedding  season  arrives,  the  fine 
zvool  may  be  combed  out  of  the  hair  on  the  animal's  back,  and  on  being 
separated  from  it,  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the  finest  fur,  or  to  Saxonv 
wool,  or  to  the  'Angora'  mohair.  A  friend  who  was  traveling  in  Europe 
sent  me  a  sample  of  mohair  which  exactly  resembles  this  fine  wool  of 
the  first  cross,  having  also  some  of  the  coarse  hair  and  of  the  cuticle  in  it, 
showing  that  it  had  been  shed  and  not  shorn.  The  two  products  of  the 
half  and  of  the  three-quarter  blood,  being  nearly  of  the  same  length,  they 
cannot  be  separated  by  shearing,  and  to  gather  it  by  combing  it  out  of 
the  hair  on  the  backs  of  the  animals  is  too  tedious.  The  specimen  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  is  probably  the  product  of  some  other  species  of 
wool-bearing  goat,  and  not  of  a  half-blood  cross  of  different  species.    . 

"If  the  half-blood  female  kid  is  bred  to  a  pure  'Angora'  buck,  the 
product  will  be  similar,  except  that  the  wool  will  be  longer,  and  some- 


2oS  A  A'c'7.'  Iiiiiiisfry. 

times  long  enough  to  be  separated  by  being  shorn  from  the  animals, 
so  as  to  be  cut  of?  over  the  ends  of  the  coarse  hair.  The  zvool  will  be  fine 
and  long  enough  for  many  uses  in  manufacture,  but  there  will  generally 
be  so  much  of  wortliless  hair  in  it  as  to  make  it  of  little  value.  On  animals 
of  the  third  similar  cross,  or  of  seven-eighths  Angora  blood,  the  fine  zvool 
will  always  be  so  much  longer  than  the  hair,  that  it  admits  of  practical 
separation  by  shearing;  and  so  of  those  of  the  fourth  cross;  while  those 
of  the  fifth  cross  and  above  it,  bear  wool  which,  in  every  essential  par- 
ticular, resembles  closely  that  of  purebred  or  imported  Angola,  and  ad-' 
mits  of  application  to  all  the  uses  of  the  best  imported  wool,  or  of  home- 
raised  wool  from  pure-bred  animals,  though  involving  some  trouble  in 
separating  the  hairs  from  it."     (See  Hayes,  pp.  64-C5.) 

Having  had  a  very  extended  experience  with  goats  in  the 
United  States,  covering  a  period  of  twenty-four  years,  during 
which  I  have  had  as  many  as  eight  thousand  head  at  one  time, 
ranging  from  the  common  short  haired  goat  of  Mexico  to  the 
purc-brcd  Angora  purchased  from  Col.  Richard  Peters  of  Geor- 
gia, in  188-1,  and  having  operated  a  tannery  for  the  purpose  of 
dressing  the  Angora  goat  skin,  which  has  given  me  a  most  excel- 
lent opportunity  to  notice  all  the  peculiarities  in  the  fleece  of 
this  animal,  T  will  state  some  of  my  personal  observations. 

I  have  seen  many  goats  that  produced  two  separate  coats  of 
hair,  as  described  by  Dr.  Scott,  one  being  short  and  coarse,  or 
kempy,  white  in  color,  the  other  fine  and  silky,  and  of  dififerent 
lengths.  This  type  however  is  not  common  in  flocks  that  have 
been  highly  improved,  and  I  attribute  it  to  the  fact  that  the 
base  blood  of  the  common  goat  had  not  been  entirely  removed ; 
or^  in  other  words,  that  the  period  of  breeding  with  the  Angora 
had  not  been  long  enough  to  thoroughly  implant  the  mohair- 
producing  blood. 

Mr.  Hoerle  refers  to  his  experience  with  this  type  in  a 
circular  letter  lately  distributed  by  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Payne,  of  New 
York,  as  follows  : 

"The  goats,  which,  after  shearing,  had  an  uncommonly  long  under- 
growth, raised  my  suspicion,  and,  anxious  to  see  whether  it  would  be 
best  to  cull  such  animals  or  not,  I  stained  the  undergrowth  of  some  of 
+hem.  When  the  mohair  began  to  grow,  it  appeared  perfectly  white 
between  the  bluish-black  undergrowth,  and  remained  there  visible 
for   months,   until    it   gradually    faded    out.      This    experiment   convinced 


'/ 

I.   ^    -         f     ^ 

U.^ 

•? 

■     >A^^ 

■Hr. 

OFF-CO:-ORED  ANGORA  GOATS. 


The  black  buck,  has  been  bred,  but  failed  to  produce  any  other  than  white  kids. 

The  white  goat  has  a  red  face,  and  legs;  was  red  all  over  when  a  kid, 

and.  after  shedding,  exposes  a  coat  of  coarse,  short  red 

hair,  like  the  head  and  legs.    The  black  goat 

appears  to  have  but  the  one  coat. 


Breeding — Fast  Experienee — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    211 

me  that  the  'mohair  is  not  the  ordinary  undergrowth  elongated,"  as  Mr. 
Schreiner,  and  other  breeders,  seem  to  believe,  but  an  entirely  different 
kind  of  hair." 

Another  type  of  goat  I  have  seen  has  a  coarse,  kempy,  yel- 
lowish uncler-hair,  and  sometimes  of  a  bluish,  or  gray,  color 
with  a  white  mohair  covering,  and  after  the  covering  of  white 
mohair  had  shed  off,  it  would  be  difficult  to  believe  that  such  an 
animal  could  possibly  produce  a  fine  covering  of  long,  white  mo- 
hair; yet,  in  the  growing  season,  (which  I  have  found  to  differ 
very  greatly,  some  animals  beginnmg  to  produce  as  early  as 
April  and  May,  w^iile  others  would  not  commence  until  June  and 
July),  the  white  mohair  would  show  itself,  and  soon  cover  the  en- 
tire body. 

The  head  and  legs  of  these  animals  being  of  a  dark  color, 
gave  them  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  Shropshire  sheep, 
(when  the  white  mohair  was  grown  out),  and,  as  a  general  thing, 
these  would  always  yield  a  very  large  fleece. 

As  a  rule,  my  improved  goats  only  produced  one  coat  of 
hair.  To  satisfy  myself  upon  this  point,  I  examined  upwards  of 
five  hundred  dressed  Angora  goat  skins,  in  my  tannery,  and 
found  the  double-coated  ones  confmed  entirely  to  the  colored 
goat,  and  a  few  partly  improved  white  goats,  as  above  described. 
CoL  W.  W.  Haupt  refers  to  this  feature  in  a  communication  that 
he  wrote  to  the  ''Southern  Fanner,"  in  1889,  at  the  request  of  Col. 
Richard  Peters,  who  was  anxious  to  learn  what  experience  he 
had  met  with  in  the  thirty  years  he  had  been  breeding  the  An- 
gora.    Col.  Haupt  says : 

"Now  where  do  we  get  this  very  fine  mohair  from?  From  the  pure- 
blooded  Angora  alone?  No.  This  belief  is  a  common  error.  The  finest 
mohair  you  can  find  is  from  the  half-breed  from  the  coarse  Mexican 
nanny.  The  origin  of  this  belief  is  in  the  fact  that  heredity  teaches  that 
the  peculiarities  of  two  parents  are  equally  (in  the  main)  divided  in  all 
the  different  features,  in  the  ofT-spring.  This  doctrine  is  literally  true, 
for  it  is  the  stamp  of  nature.  But  there  seems  two  exceptional  phenomena 
in  regard  to  the  Angora.  First,  whilst  a  fine-wooled  sheep  crossed  on  a 
coarse-wool,  makes  a  medium  grade  fibre,  from  the  fact  that  the  fibres 
themselves  partake  of  the  cross.  Yet,  in  the  goat  this  crossing  of  fibres 
does  not  take  place.  The  mohair  on  the  half-breed  simply  displaces 
(or  grubs  out)   a  portion  of  the  short,   coarse  hair,   and   supplants   itself 


212  A  Nczv  Industry. 

in  its  place,  and  each  successive  cross  continues  this  encroachment  until 
about  the  sixth  cross  they  are  about  all  gone.  The  first  cross  gives 
about  an  inch  in  length  of  mohair,  and  each  additional  cross  adds  greater 
length,  until  finally  it  gets  the  extreme  length  of  the  pure-bloods;  is  as 
fully  set  on  the  animal,  and  will  shear  as  heavly,  and  it  has  the  fine- 
ness to  start  on,  and  is,  in  every  essental,  the  equal  of  the  pure-blood, 
and,  so  far  as  fieece  is  concerned  (and  that  is  all  you  want),  it  is  in  fact 
a  pure-blood  Angora  goat." 

Another  pectiliarity  I  have  noticed  is,  the  great  difference  in 
the  lengths  to  which  mohair  will  grow,  and  the  general  appear- 
ance of  it  when  in  full  iieece.  vSome  goats  will  have  hair  only 
six  to  eight  inches  in  length,  while  with  others  it  will  grow  to  be 
twelve  to  fifteen.  Some  will  have  a  milk-white  color  of  hair,  while 
with  others  it  will  be  more  like  cream.  The  mohair  of  some  goats 
will  be  wavy ;  while  in  others  it  will  hang  in  beautiful  ringlets  and 
a  few  will  present  an  appearance  very  similar  to  a  lady's  hair  that 
has  just  been  released  from  a  crimper ;  the  longest  mohair,  as 
a  general  thing,  being  in  little  ringlets,  hanging  as  distinct  from 
each  other  as  the  curls  from  a  young  lady's  head.  Occasionally, 
a  black,  yellow,  or  bluish  goat  will  produce  l^lack,  yellow,  or 
bluish  mohair;  but  in  nearly  all  cases,  the  outer  covering  will 
be  white.  I  have  seen  some  pied,  or  variegated  goats, 
each  color  producing  its  own  color  of  mohair,  some  of  which, 
when  shed  off  entirely,  would  expose  a  spotted  skin.  1  have  at 
the  present  time  a  black  male^''  with  a  beautiful  hair  hanging  in 
ringlets  not  less  than  ten  inches  long. 

Still  another  peculiarity  is  in  the  size  of  car- 
cass, and  general  appearance  of  the  animals.  Some 
are  heavily-bodied,  with  a  coarse  l)one,  the  wethers  often 
reaching  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
pounds,  while  others  will  be  slender  bodied,  with  small  bone, 
reaching  only  about  eighty  pounds,  when  fully  developed.  The 
latter,  I  find  to  be  the  more  common  variety,  which  I  suppose 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  usually  have  longer  hair  hanging  in 
ringlets,  and  are  more  attractive  to  the  average  breeder.  As 
may  well  be  supposed,  tlte  horns  of  the  heavier  variety  are  much 
longer  and  coarser  looking  than  the  smaller  type,  and  the  hair 
is  wavy. 


^See  plate  VI. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   27j 

The  general  opinion  among  breeders,  both  in  Turkey, 
South  Africa,  and  our  own  country,  is  that  a  pure-bred  "Angora" 
must  be  small  and  delicate,  with  thin  horns,  wooled  all  over  the 
body,  with  ringletted  hair,  ranging  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches, 
barely  touching  the  ground,  and  produce  a  tuft  of  mohair  on  the 
forehead,  which  will  cover  the  eyes.     Dr.  Hayes  says : 

"An  infallible  proof  of  purity  insisted  on  by  many  writers  is,  the 
curling  of  the  hair  which  is  observed  upon  the  young  individual,  only 
when  they  are  of  pure  blood,  so  that  all  young  bucks  are  rejected  from 
the  flocks  with  the  utmost  care  as  not  being  of  the  pure  race  whose 
hair  is  not  curled."     (See  Hayes,  p.  32.) 

Mr.  S-  H.  Pegler,  author  of  the  '^Book  of  the  Goat,"  and  a 
professional  breeder  in  South  Africa,  says  : 

"The  correct  points  of  a  pure-bred  Angora,  are  head  fine  with 
fleece  growing  well  over  the  forehead,  ears  thin,  wide  and  pendulous; 
not  long,  and  hanging  down  direct  from  the  head,  but  standing  out, 
and  then  lopping  over,  more  resembling  the  ears  of  a  mastiff,  on  the 
alert,  and  best  described  as  semi-pendant.  Horns  flat  shaped,  set  far 
apart  on  head,  and  tapering  gradually  towards  the  tips.  Direction  de- 
pends on  the  sex.  Male  inclines  first  to  the  rear,  with  a  slight  twist 
outward,  and  the  ends  pointing  upward.  Female,  they  take  a  lateral 
direction,  spiral  more  decided,  and  the  ends  point  downward.  The 
chief  feature  consists  in  the  length,  texture  and  character  of  fleece.  In 
the  best  of  animals  it  is  of  a  fine  silliy  nature,  growing  in  thickly  mat- 
ted flakes  near  the  skin,  and  then  separating  into  long,  corkscrew- 
shaped  ringlets,  covering  the  animal  to  the  hocks.  The  best  fleeces 
from  a  full  grown  animal  of  prime  age,  and  blood,  should  average  six 
pounds  weight,  and  the  staple  or  strands  averge  eight  inches  in  length." 

Mr.  H.  O.  Binns,  a  Turkish  authority,  describes  a  pure- 
bred Angora  as  being, 

"About  the  size  of  a  South  African  kid,  five  months  old,  with  small 
thin  horns,  wooled  all  over  the  body,  the  hair  almost  covering  the 
eyes,  and  exceedingly  delicate." 

Dr.  Hayes  makes  mention  of  a  certain  specimen,  which  I 
presume,  must  have  been  considered  very  perfect  at  the  time 
(1855)  that  a  M.  Brandt,  director  of  the  Museum  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  distinguished  among  the  zoologists  of  Europe  for  his 
conscietious  work  and  profound  knowledge  described  as 
follows : 


214  A  Nczv  Industry. 

"The  magnificent  example  of  the  Angora  goat  which  the  Museum 
of  the  Imperial  Academy  owes  to  j\I.  TchihatchifT  produces  at  first 
sight  the  general  impression  of  a  domestic  goat,  when  attention  is  not 
directed  to  its  thick  and  silky  fleece,  to  its  flat  ears,  turned  downwards; 
and  its  inconsiderable  size.  But  it  is  precisely  these  traits  which  im- 
press upon  this  animal  a  distinct  seal,  which  give  it  the  character  of 
a  peculiar  race,  whose  origin  is,  perhaps,  not  the  same  as  that  of  the  do- 
mestic goat.  The  extremity  of  the  snout;  the  cheeks;  the  nasal  and 
frontal  bone  as  well  as  the  ears,  and  lower  part  of  the  legs,  below  the 
tarsal  articulation,  are  covered  with  the  external  hairs,  which  are  shorter 
and  thicker  than  those  which  cover  the  above  mentioned  parts  in  other 
species  of  goats.  The  forehead  has  soft  hairs  of  less  length,  less  ap- 
plied to  the  skin,  and,  in  part  curled.  The  hair  of  the  beard,  which  is 
pointed,  and  of  moderate  dimensions,  being  six  inches  in  length,  is 
stififer  than  the  hair  of  the  rest  of  the  body,  but  less  so  than  that  of 
the  beard  of  the  ordinary  goat.  The  horns,  of  a  grayish  white  tint, 
are  longer  than  the  head;  at  their  lower  part  the  interior  marginal 
border  turns  inwards  in  such  a  manner  that  they  appear  broad  viewed 
in  front,  and  narrow  when  seen  exteriorly;'  at  half  their  extension 
they  direct  themselves  moderately  backwards,  and  turn  spirally  out- 
wards, so  that  their  extremities  directed  slightly  upwards,  arc  very 
much  separated,  one  from  the  other,  and  circumscribe  a  space  grad- 
ually contracting  itself.  The  whole  of  the  neck,  as  well  as  the  trunk, 
is  covered  with  long  hairs  which,  particularly  upon  the  neck  and  lateral 
parts  of  the  body,  are  twisted  in  spirals,  having  the  appearance  of 
loosened  ringlets,  it  being  observed  at  the  same  time,  that  they  unite 
themselves  into  rolled  tufts,  a  disposition  which  is  less  marked  in  the 
anterior  part  of  the  neck.  The  hairs  which  exhibit  the  greatest  length, 
are  situated  above  the  forelegs,  and  are,  almost  nine  and  one-half  inches 
long.  Those  of  the  neck  are  a  little  shorter,  and  are  nine  inches  long, 
and  those  of  the  belly  eight  inches  three  lines.  The  length  of  the  hair 
with  which  the  lateral  parts  of  the  body,  as  well  as  the  back,  are  covered,  is 
only  seven  inches,  six  lines;  and  that  of  the  hair  of  the  hind  legs  six  inches 
to  seven  inches.  Finally,  the  slight  stifT  hair  of  the  tail  is  about  four 
inches  in  length.  The  color  of  the  robe  of  the  animal  is  a  pure  white,  here 
and  there  slightly  inclined  to  yellow.  The  hoofs,  somewhat  small, 
in  proportion,  are,  like  the  horns,  of  a  grayish  white  tint.  The  hair 
is,  without  exception,  long,  soft,  and  fine;  it  is  at  once  silky,  and  greasy, 
to  the  touch,  and  shows,  distinctly,  the  brilliancy  of  silk."  (See  Hayes, 
page  8.) 

The  dimensions  of  the  specimen  above  referred  to  by  M.  Brandt, 
are  given  by  him  as   follows: 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  theAugora.   21^ 

Ft.  iQ.  L. 

From  the  point  of  the  snout  to  the   root  of  the  tail 5  4  2 

Length  of  head 11  9 

From  the  point  of  the   snout   to   the   eye 5  1 

From   the   eye  to   the    ear 'i  5 

From  the  eye  to  the    horns 1  9 

Length  of  ear G  0 

Length  of  horns,  in  direct  diameter 1  2  0 

Length  of  horns,  following  the  curvature 1  6  6 

Distance  between  horns,  taken  at  the  roots 2  1 

Distance  between  their  terminal  point 1  9  9 

Width  of  horns,  at  their  roots 2  1 

Length  of  tail,  including  the  hair 9  9 

Height  of  anterior  part  of  the  body 2  2  4 

Height  of  posterior  part  of  the  body 2  2  2 

(See  Hayes,  page  10.) 

The  Hon.  Israel  H.  Deihl,  in  a  paper  on  ''The  Goat,''  pub- 
lished in  the  United  States  Agricultural  Department  for  1863, 
quotations  from  which  have  heretofore  been  made,  says  : 

"The  Angora  goat  has  a  very  beautiful  curled  or  ivavy  hair,  of  sil- 
very whiteness,  with  a  fine  downy  wool  at  its  base,  and  this  hair  is  dis- 
posed in  long,  pendant,  spiral  ringlets  on  the  whole  body.  The  horns 
of  the  female,  instead  of  spreading  as  in  the  male,  turn  backwards,  and 
are  much  shorter  in  proportion;  those  of  the  male  are  long,  spirally 
twisted,  but  the  size  and  direction  are  very  different  from  the  common 
goat,  being  generally  extended  from  fifteen  to  thirty  inches  in  height 
on  each  side  of  the  head,  while  those  of  the  female  end  near  the  ears. 
The  hair  or  wool  often  sweeps  to  the  ground  and  is  from  five  to  twelve 
inches  long,  especially  in  the  older  bucks,  but  then  not  so  fine. 

"The  fleece  of  the  ewe  shears  from  three  to  five  pounds  and  that 
of  the  buck  from  five  to  nine.  The  tail  is  shorter  than  that  of  the  Cash- 
mere, and  usually  carried  erect.  These  goats  have  the  hair  very  long, 
thick,  and  so  fine  that  stuffs  have  been  made  of  it  almost  as  handsome  and 
glossy  as  our  silks,  and  have  been  known  under  the  various  names  of 
Cashmeres,  Camlets,  etc.  This  brief  description  will  apply  to  almost 
all  we  saw  in  Western  Asia,  Europe,  and  in  this  country,  (say  of  several 
thousands)  save  some  difference  in  the  ears;  for,  while  many  have  the 
pendant  ears,  others  we  examined  have  ears  exceedingly  small  and  short." 

Mr.  G.  A.  Hoerle,  in  a  pamphlet  published  about  1885  or 
1886,  during  his  connection  with  the  industry  in  Texas,  has  given 
the  following  description  of  a  perfect  specimen  of  an  Angora 
goat : 

"The  shape  of  a  perfect  Angora  goat,  when  in  full  fleece,  should  ap- 
pear  like   a   right-angled   square    (parallelogram).     The   body   should   be 


2i6  A  Nciv  Industry. 

full  and  long  and  of  straight  build.  It  should  be  densely  and  evenly 
covered  with  fine  curly,  and  lustrous,  silky  hair,  appearing  form  a  distance 
as  if  it  had  been  trimmed  off  below  the  body.  The  chest  and  shoulder, 
especially  with  the  male  animals  should  be  broad  and  strong,  the  legs 
straight,  and  chunky,  the  head  clean  cut  and  trim,  not  coarse, 
like  that  of  the  common  goat.  The  horns  of  the  buck  are  long 
and  strong,  inclined  toward  the  back  and  of  a  spiral-like  shape, 
some  almost  perfect  spirals;  the  horns  of  the  ewes,  short  and  thin,  and 
curved  backward.  Hornless  Angoras  exist  but  are  rare.  The  ears  are  al- 
most always  what  are  commonly  called  lop-ears,  and  Jififer  very  much  in 
size;  those  of  some  animals  are  over  a  foot  long,  and  about  four  inches 
wide.  However,  the  existence  of  so-called  fox-ears,  or  mouse-ears,  is  by 
no  means,  an  evidence  of  impurity  of  blood.  Some  of  the  ewes  coming 
from  Col.  Peters'  thoroughbred  stock,  as  well  as  the  very  best  nanny 
(ewe)  of  Mr.  W.  D.  Parrish's  importation,  which  sheared,  after  being 
acclimated,  a  little  over  five  pounds  of  mohair,  had  these,  generally,  so 
much  despised  'fox-ears.'  We  consider  the  prejudice  against  this  kind  of 
ears,  certainly  a  very  foolish  one,  at  least,  as  long  as  we  are  breeding  for 
mohair,  and  not  for  long  ears,  to  obtain  which,  the  donkey  would  be  a 
better  subject  for  our  experiments."     (See  Hoerle,  page  11.) 

My  personal  opinion  is,  that  the  fine  delicate  frame  of  the 
pure-bred  Angora  described  by  the  above  authorities  has  been 
produced  by  a  very  long  course  of  in,  and  in-breeding,  which  is 
known  to  have  been  universally  practiced  by  the  Turkish  breed- 
ers in  the  early  day,  and  this  opinion  is  strengthened,  in  a  great 
measure,  by  the  fact  that,  the  Turks  were  accustomed  to  cross 
their  white  Mohair  goats  with  the  common  black  goat  of  their 
country  (the  "Kurd"),  in  order  to  give  them  greater  strength 
and  vitality.  Dr.  Hayes,  quoting  from  M.  Boulier,  in  a  report 
of  a  mission  to  Asia  Minor  presented  to  the  French  Minister 
of  War,  says  : 

"In  severe  winters,  while  the  common  goat  of  the  country  is  unaffec- 
ted, the  mortality  among  the  goats  of  the  pure  race  is  frightful.  *  * 
The  delicacy  and  lymphatic  temperament  of  the  white  Angora  which 
seems  to  be  inherent  to  this  race,  appear  to  be  closely  related  to  their 
color.  Some  physiologists  see  in  the  color,  and  delicacy  of  this  animal 
the  evidence  of  an  imperfect  albinism."  And  Dr.  Hayes  adds,  referring 
to  a  statement  made  by  M.  TchihatchefT  that  "when  the  losses  are  very 
considerable  the  people  of  the  country  repair  the.n  by  crossing  the  An- 
gora with  the  common  goats,  and  that  purity  of  the  race  is  regained  in 
the  third  generation."     (See  Hayes,  page  30.) 

If  the  reader  will  turn  to  plates  IV  and  V  and  examine 
the  cuts  of  two  goats  imported  from  Asia  Minor  by  Dr.  J.  B. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Rcsitlt  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   2/7 

Davis  in  1849,  which  have  been  admitted,  by  all  authorities  who 
have  e\er  seen  them,  as  being  perhaps,  the  purest  bred  mohair 
goats  that  have  ever  been  exported  from  Turkey,  he  will  find 
that  they  do  not  correspond  in  any  one  particular  with  either 
of  the  foregoing  descriptions  of  a  pure-bred  "Angora,"  unless 
it  be  in  the  shape  of  the  ears  of  the  female.  The  hair  of  these 
animals  does  not  hang  in  "closely  matted  ringlets,  nearly  touch- 
ing the  ground,"  but  is  wavy.  The  ears  of  one  lop;  while,  in  the 
other,  they  are  like  a  fox-ear.  The  horns  of  the  female  are  cer- 
tainly not  the  deHcate  little  horns,  described  by  Mr.  Hoerle, 
and  which  I  have  observed  myself,  on  many  of  our  goats  that 
have  been  bred  a  long  time,  the  tendency  seeming  to  be  for  the 
horns  to  become  smaller,  as  the  animal  ascends  in  the  scale  of 
mohair  qualities.  Moreover,  the  shape,  and  weight,  of  the 
"Davis"  goats,  does  not  correspond  with  the  diminutive  little 
animal  which  Mr.  Binns  says  only  "grows  to  be  the  size  of  a  five 
months'  old  Cape  (African)  kid."  In  place  of  weighing,  per- 
haps, sixty  or  seventy  pounds  for  a  male,  the  "Davis"  male  goat 
weighed  165  pounds  and  the  female  102  pounds,  probably  as 
large  again  as  the  so-called  pure  Angora.  The  shearing  capacity 
of  the  "Davis"  goats  is  represented  as  having  been  seven  pounds 
in  the  male,  and  four  and  a  half  pounds  in  the  female,  which,  in 
1855,  was  above  the  reported  average  of  any  goats  in  Turkey. 
The  conclusion  I  have  come  to  from  observing  these  pecul- 
iarities is  that  the  wavy  hair  is  largely  confined  to  the  heavy- 
framed,  coarse-horned  animal,  and  the  long  ringletted  hair  to 
the  smaller-framed  animal.  I  will  now  call  attention  to  still 
another  change  in  our  mohair  goat,  which  I  believe  is  due  to 
the  peculiar  type,  or  breed,  of  goat  which  Dr.  Davis  first  intro- 
duced into  the  United  States  in  184*),  crossed  with  our  common 
Mexican  variety. 

NON-SHEDDING    ANGORA   GOATS. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  no  reference  is  made  to  the 
shedding  feature  of  the  "Angora,"  by  any  of  the  authorities  I 
have  quoted  from,  it  has  been  the  opinion  of  all  breeders,  up 
to  within  the  past  few  years  that  they  shed  their  hair  every 
spring,  as  certainly  as  the  horse,  or  the  cow,  does,  and  a  very 
large    number    of   them    have    this    opinion    still. 


2i8  A  Nciv  Industry. 

Col.  Richard  Peters,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Hayes,  says : 

'  The  greatest  drawback  I  have  experienced  with  Angoras  has 
been  the  shedding  too  early  of  their  fleeces.  Of  late  years,  by  good  keep, 
during  the  months  of  February  and  March,  and  by  their  not  running 
through  brier  patches,  I  have  been  more  successful  in  saving  the  fleece  in 
good  condition."     (See  Hayes,  page  79.) 

Dr.  Robert  W.  vScott  of  Kentacky,  says: 

"The  animal  is  born  with  a  covering  of  short,  stifif,  coarse  hair  of  no 
commercial  value,  which,  in  a  few  weeks,  drops  out  and  is  replaced  by  a 
growth  of  mohair,  which  is  long  in  proportion  to  the  grade,  or  blood,  of 
the  animal,  and  is  lustrous,  soft,  silky,  and  elastic,  which,  in  its  time, 
also  drops  out,  and  is  similarly  superseded  by  the  first;  the  animals  wear- 
ing, the  short,  coarse  hair,  in  the  spring  and  summer,  and  the  long,  fine 
wool  in  the  fall  and  winter."     (See  Hayes,  page  64.) 

Having  observed  in  my  own  T^ocks,  a  great  many  kids  that 
did  not  possess  the  peculiarity  mentioned  by  Dr.  Scott,  I  deter- 
mined to  investigate  further  and  see  if  any  of  my  grown  goats 
retained  their  fleece  in  the  spring,  and  was  gratified  to  find  such 
an  animal  among  some  that  I  had  sold  to  parties  in  Iowa,  and 
I  have  since  found  quite  a  number  in  my  Texas  stock.  My  find 
was  so  at  variance  with  the  accepted  opinion  of  all  breeders  in 
our  own  country  as  well  as  in  Turkey  and  South  Africa ;  and, 
fearing  that  the  circumstance  which  I  had  noticed,  was  caused 
perhaps,  by  some  peculiar  condition  of  the  animal  and  was  not 
a  common  occurrence,  I  felt  a  hesitancy  in  presenting  the  infor- 
mation unsupported  by  the  testimony  of  others,  so  I  decided  to 
send  out  the  following  list  of  questions  to  a  number  of  breeders, 
throughout  the  States : 

1.  Have  you  ever  observed  any  Angora  goat  that  had  two  distinct 
coats  of  hair? 

2.  Have  you  observed  that  some  Angora  goats  shed  their  hair 
sooner  than  others? 

3.  Have  you  observed  that  some  Angora  goats  do  not  shed  their 
hair  at  allV 

4.  Have  you  ever  observed  any  Angora  kids  that  do  not  shed  theii- 
first,  or  "kid'"  hairV 

;").     How  do  you  decide  on  a  buck,  by  pedigree  or  merit V 
H.     Have  you  had  many  hornless  Angoras  goats  V 

It  is  quite  interesting  to  note  the  several  replies  to  the  above 
questions. 


With  only  a  few  exceptions,  every  one  of  the  fifty  breeders  who  sent 
me  their  replies,  say  they  have  never  seen  an  animal  with  two  distinct 
coats  of  hair,  and  these  few  describe  the  undercoat  as  beings  "kemp.  "* 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  answers  I  have  z-eceived  to  the  fore- 
going- questions : 


S3 

No.  1 

No.  2 

No.  3 

No.  4 

No.  5 

No.  6 

Name  and  Address 

S 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

No 

Y.| 

No 

Yes 

No 

Pedi- 
gree 

■S 

Yes 

No 

OF  Breeder 

o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 

o 

o 
o 

o 

o 
o 

o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

H    T.  Fuchs.  Tiger  Mill. 
J.  M.  Arnold.  Montell. 

John  Brown,  Sonora. 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 

o 

0 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 

o 
o 

P  C;.  MeLendon,  Dripping  Spgs. 
Wm  M.  Landrum.  LaKuna. 
Doughter  A  Luilrell,  Lipun. 

o 

o 
o 

o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 

o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 

o 
o 

W  R.  McKee,  Junction  City. 
J.  D  Hunter,   Junction  City. 
Tom  S    Evans,  Exile  P.  O. 
H.  B.  Marshall.  Austin 
K  H.  Lowry,  Camp  San  Saba 

o 

o 

B.  L.  Crouch,  Pearsall. 
Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  Kyle. 
W.  G  Hughes,  Hastings. 
Geo.  W.  Baylor,  Montell. 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
~o~ 

0 

o 

o 
o 
o 

0 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 

~o~ 

o 

D.  S.  Babb,  Sonora 

K  H   Wyatt.  Sonora. 

TTTT 

"(T 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 

Jas  McDonald,  Morrison. 
Mr.  Masters,  Cleveland 

O 

o 

o 

o 

W.  D.  Claggett.  Salem. 
Geo.  A.  Houck.  Eugene. 
D.  A    W^alker,  Carlton. 

o 
o 
o 

o 

o 
o 

O  Dowell.  Fiore   ce. 
Frank  H.  Rodgers,  Gardener. 
J   M,  Hassler.  Larwood. 
Oscar  Tom   Angora 

o 



— 

— 

— 

o 

< 

X 

£ 

5 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

.;;'. 

o 
o 

o 
o 

.... 

0 
0 

o 
o 

0 

o 
o 

0 

o 
~o~ 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
~o~ 

A.  Moon.  Ono. 

Jacob  Oaks,  Paskenta. 

Pbilo  Ogden,  Upper  Lake. 

No  Name,  Ico. 

James  H  Dunison,  Upper  Lake. 

A.  J.  Linton.  Ager. 

Wm.  Richter,  Ico 

fr: 

o 
~o^ 

~ 

X  Y  Z,  Ono. 

C.  P.  Bailey.  San  Jose. 

— 

o 

o 



^ 

^l 

J.  H.  Hightower.  Ruidosa. 
D.  C.  Taylor,  Lake  Valley. 
J.  C.  Hightower,  Ruidosa. 

«^ 

o 
o 

~o~ 
o 

(See  his 

ette 

r  of  explana 

tion 

.)* 

o 
o 

0 

~o~ 

0 

~o~ 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 

o 

"o~ 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 
o 

o 
o 

o 

o 
~o~ 
o 
o 
o 

o 

~o~ 
o 

"o~ 

o 

0 

o 
o 

o 

"o~ 

o 

o 
o 

1 

Idaho 

o 

o 
~o~ 

o 

Morgan  &  Morgan,  Clay. 
J.  R.  Standley,  Platteville. 
J   S.  Harris,  Oakley 

Arizona 

J.  S  Barnetie,  Globe. 

Mont. 
Utah 

S.  S   Brannin.  Marvsville. 
Jos.  R   Hamblin,  Knab 

"o~ 

o 
o 
o 

o 

~o~ 
o 

o 
o 

Wash. 

No  Name,  Bucoda 

N.  C. 

Lafayette  Holt,  Burlington 

W.Va 

O   D    Hill.  Kendulia 

Penn. 

Miller  &  Sibley.  Franklin. 

Okla. 

J.  K.  Young.  Woodward 

W.  J.  Seever.  St.  Louis. 

Kinn. 

~o~ 

o 

~o' 

"o" 

o 

o 

A.  Lippincott,  Sheridan 
A.  G.  Wilcox.  Hugo 

*Slnce  this  was  written,  Mr.  J.  C.  Higlitower,  of  Ruidosa,  N.  M.,  has  written  me  of  a  goat  that  had  i 
coats  of  hair.    His  letter  may  be  found  under  the  liead  of  New  Me.xioo  Breeders'  Reports. 


A  Nczv  Industry. 
GENERAL    SUMMARY. 


FORM  OF  QUESTION  ASKED. 


'Have  you  ever  observed  any  Angora 
Goat  that  had  twodistinc.  coats  of 
hair?" 

'Have  you  observed  that  some  An- 
gora Goats  shed  sooner  than 
others  ?" 

'Have  you  observed  that  some  An- 
gora goats  do  not  shed  at  all?"  . .  — 

'Have  you  observed  that  some  An- 
gora kids  do  not  shed  their  Grst, 
or  'kid,'  iiair?" 

'  Have  you  had  many  'hornless'  An- 
gora goats?" 

'How  do  you  decide  upon  the  quality 
of  an  Angora  Buck?  ' 


Number 

Who 
Replied 
YES. 

Number 
Who 

Replied 
NO. 

Number 
who  failed 

to  make 
any  reply. 

1 

12 

35 

9 

42 

4 

10 

30 

24 

3 

24   ' 

20 

12 

11 

31 

14 

Pedigree. 
4 

By  Merit. 
23 

By  Both. 
10 

No  Reply. 
19 


It  will  be  observed  that  some  of  our  oldest  and  largest 
breeders  are  among'  those  who  have  never  seen  a  non-shedding 
goat ;  and,  some  even  go  so  far  as  to  affirm  that  such  an  animal 
does  not  exist ;  but  in  the  face  of  the  testimony  I  am  now  pre- 
pared to  lay  before  my  readers,  on  this  question,  I  think  it  is 
idle  to  make  such  a  statement. 

I  regard  non-sJicdding  a  most  important  feature  as  the 
shearing  of  Angoras  in  the  month  of  February  or  March  (which 
is  made  necessary,  in  many  sections,  in  order  to  avoid 
loss  from  the  shedding  of  the  fleece),  is  usually  attended  with 
more  or  less  loss  in  life  from  the  cold  rains  and  wind  storms 
that  are  common  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

The  following  communication,  from  Mr.  J.C.P.McLendon, 
of  Texas,  will,  I  think,  convince  many  of  the  doubters  of  the 
existence  of  this  type  of  Angoras : 

"Dripping  Springs,  Hays  County,  Texas,  Oct.  16,  1899. 

"Col.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Yours  of  the  4th  received.  Yes,  you  can  use  anything  in 
my  former  letter  I  may  have  said  about  Angora  goats,  or  in  this.  Certain- 
ly, we  have  different  types  of  so-called  pure-bred  Angoras.     Any  breeder 


Pnrdiiig — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.   2.2^ 

of  close  observation  can  but  be  convinced  of  that  fact.  In  regard  to 
shedding,  I  know  that  climatic  influences  and  the  condition  of  the  animal 
may  have  some  influence,  but  my  experience  proved  to  my  satisfaction, 
that  there  are  Angoras  that  do  not  shed  their  mohair  any  more  than  sheep 
shed  their  wool,  and  I  think  all  breeders  should  aim  to  secure  and  per- 
petuate that  type.  Col.  Robt.  W.  Scott's  stock  farm  was  near  Frankfort, 
Ky.  He  died  some  seven  or  eight  years  ago.  He  was  a  scientific,  con- 
scientious breeder,  a  true  type  of  the  Kentucky  gentleman.  I  never 
knew  him  personally,  but  my  dealings  and  correspondence  with  him,  en- 
able me  to  accord  him  all  honor. 

"I  don't  know  whether  I  mentioned  it  or  not  in  my' former  letter, 
but  all  of  my  goats  that  did  not  shed  their  mohair,  were  pure  white  to  the 
skin.  Many  were  white  that  did  shed,  but  none  that  had  a  yellow  tinge 
near  the  hide  held  their  coats,  but  shedded  off  clean  with  an  undercoat  of 
fine  short  hair,  also  yellow.  Those  that  were  white  and  shedded,  had 
white,  short  hair. 

"Any  direct  questions  you  may  wish  to  ask,  will  be  answered  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge.  I  believe,  though,  I  have  condensed  all  I  know  of 
importance.  Respectfully, 

J.  C.  P    McLENDON.- 

Messrs.  Conklin  Bros.,  of  Newville,  Cal.,  write  as  follows : 

"Newville,  California,  Aug.  19,  1899. 
"Mr.   Wm.    L.    Black. 

"My  Dear  Sir: — In  reply  to  questions  you  ask,  will  say  to  No.  1: 
We  have  never  known  a  goat  to  produce  fur  as  an  undercoat,  but  have 
read  that  such  goats  are  produced  in  Turkey,  and  that  the  finest  Cashmere 
shawls  are  made  from  this  undergrowth,  after  the  long  hair  is  separated 
therefrom.  But  they  are  not  considered  profitable,  as  they  only  shear 
a  few  ounces,  and  the  heavy,  coarse  hair  is  of  but  little  value. 

"No.  3.  We  have  a  number  of  goats  that  do  not  shed  their  hair  in 
the  spring,  have  a  continuous  growth,  and  their  kids  do  not  shed  their  kid 
hair  either.  This  we  know,  for  during  kidding,  we  often  paint  the  twin 
kids  with  red  paint,  and  they  carry  that  paint  until  shorn  in  the  fall,  and 
we  believe  that  by  careful  and  correct  breeding,  we  can  secure  a  flock 
of  that  kind.  This  is  one  point  that  we  are  working  for  now.  We  have 
no  hornless  goats  but  are  informed  that  there  is  a  breed  of  that  kind  in 
Asia  Minor,  but  do  not  know  whether  it  is  a  distinct  breed  or  not. 

"I  can  not  see  why  there  should  not  be  a  thoroughbred  Angora,  as 
well  as  a  thoroughbred  horse,  cow,  sheep,  hog  or  dog.  My  idea  of  the 
term  'thoroughbred,'  is  an  animal  that  is  bred  for  points  for  a  period 
of  years,  until  the  type  is  fixed,  so  that  the  offspring  will  be  of  the  same 
kind,  bred  year  after  year,  and  not  degenerate,  or  if  bred  to  inferior  blood 


22/1  A  Nczv  Industry. 

will  reproduce  themselves  in  six  crosses  and  make  a  full  blood  animal. 
This  might  be  a  different  type  from  any  other  in  Turkey,  and  called  the 
'American  type.'  Our  goats  have  been  bred  for  over  thirty  years,  and  a 
systematic  record  of  them  kept;  each  goat  numbered,  and  character 
noted  by  points,  so  that  now  we  can  choose  a  pair  of  goats,  and  tell  al- 
most exactly  wha);  the  progeny  will  be  as  to  fleece,  covering,  weight,  and 
constitution,  etc.  This,  we  think,  is  pointing  to  thoroughbred  standard. 
"There  are  so  many  different  grades  of  goats  that  I  think  that  each 
individual  will  have  to  work  out  his  own  type,  or  strain,  and  among  all 
of  them,  there  will  probably  be  but  few  that  will  produce  anything  of 
value.  Only  very  few  can  succeed  in  improving  any  kind  of  animals. 
It  requires  a  certain  kind  of  tact  and  continual  effort,  and  long  persever- 
ance, perhaps  a  life-time  to  accomplish  one  certain  idea,  as  it  was  with  the 
Merino  sheep.  One  hundred  years  ago,  all  sheep  in  America  shed  their 
fleece,  more  or  less;  now,  such  a  thing  is  unheard  of  unless  by  disease, 
and,  I  am  sure  that  Angoras  can  be  brought  to  this  point,  perhaps  in 
a  very  few  years  more.  Yours  very  truly, 

CONKLIN"  BROS., 
Per  M.  L.  Conklin." 

A  close  neighbor  to  my  ranch,  Air.  W.  F.  Luckie,  whose 
postoffice  address  is  Fort  McKavett,  Menard  Cotmty,  Texas, 
stated  a  circttmstance,  a  short  time  ago,  which  is  very  conclusive 
testimony  on  this  subject.  He  had  placed  all  of  his  bucks  on 
the  ranch  of  a  neighbor,  and  failed  to  shear  them  with  his  other 
goats.  One  of  them  carried  his  tieece  perfectly  through  the 
entire  summer,  and,  with  the  exception  that  it  matted  in  places 
on  the  hind  quarters,  it  was  just  as  nice  in  appearance  as  the 
ones  that  had  shedded  off  and  grown  a  new  fieece. 

Mr.  Hoerle,  also,  refers  to  having  seen  non-shedding  goats 
during  his  experience  as  a  breeder  in  Texas  in  the  early  eighties. 
Mr.  Hoerle  says,  in  the  circular  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Wm.  R. 
Payne,  already  referred  to : 

"I  observed  right  in  the  first  year,  that  after  shearing,  quite  a  number 
of  my  goats  would  not  shed,  others  showed  after  shedding,  quite  a  long 
undergrowth,  which  looked  entirely  difl'erent  from  mohair.  Amongst 
the  goats  which  did  not  shed  their  mohair,  were,  so  to  speak  all  the  off- 
spring of  the  Maurice  importation,  and  quite  a  number  of  the  other 
thoroughbreds,  as  well  as  a  few  of  the  high  grades.  This  observation 
brought  me  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  original  pure  Angora  probably  did 
not  shed,  if  shorn  at  the  proper  time." 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    -225 

The  following-  remarks,  with  reference  to  non-shedding 
and  other  peculiar  types  of  mohair  goats  by  breeders  who  appear 
in  the  tabulated  list  of  replies,  will,  no  doubt,  be  interesting  as 
well  as  instructive  upon  this  question. 


pr-ATEviii.  NON-SHEDDING  ANGORA   BUCK. 

Propertv  of  the  aiUhor;  raised  by  Mr.  J.  D    Hunier.  Junction  City,  Kimble  County. 

Te^as.    He  was  sheared  October  15,  1899.  and  the  above  photograph  was  taken 

June  15.  1900,  being  eight  months'  growih  of  fleece.    Thore  seemed  to  be 

very  little  growth  to  the  mohair,  after  December  1,  until  about 

April  1,  when  it  made   a  second  growth     Tbe  spot  on 

the  neclf,   which  appears  t  >  be  bare   of  hair,  is 

caused  by   the    shadow    from    the   horn. 


Mr.  H.  T.  Fuchs,  of  Tiger  Mill,  Texas,  says  : 
"The  better  they  are  graded  up  the  less  different  kinds  of  hair  they 
have.  I  have  observed  that  they  are  less  liable  to  shed  their  hair  after 
they  have  passed  the  fifteen-sixteenth  grade.  I  do  not  have  many 
kids  that  do  not  shed  their  first  kid  hair.  I  have  had,  perhaps,  as  many 
as  three  per  cent,  of  hornless  kids.  They  are  very  good  shearers,  not 
quite  so  silky,  but  are  excellent  for  milk,  and  are  very  hardy. 


S2(>  A  Nczv  Industry. 

"I  do  not  like  these  goats  with  two  kinds  of  hair.  I  think  we  should 
try  and  raise  them  to  produce  only  the  long,  silky,  mohair." 

Air.  J.  M.  Arnold,  of  Alontell,  Uvalde  County,  Texas,  says: 

"I  have  never  seen  any  Angoras  with  fur  next  to  the  skin.  Some 
of  our  goats  have  escaped  shearing  and  passed  the  shedding  season  with- 
out casting  their  hair  until  fall;    but  the  most  of  them  shed. 

"I  do  not  know  that  the  'hornless  goat'  is  a  freak,  and  feel  sure 
that  by  using  natural  hornless  bucks  and  does,  their  progeny  will  soon  be 
hornless  and  breed  so.     We  always  select  our  bucks  on  merit." 

Air.  Jno.  Brown,  of  Sonora,  Sutton  County,  says  : 

"With  regard  to  'non-shedding'  goats,  I  have  seen  goats  that 
shed  but  very  little,  hard  to  be  noticed  in  fact,  but  they  all  shed  more  or 
less.  The  kids  that  do  not  shed  their  first  kid  hair,  are  very  rare  with  me. 
The  great  majority  of  them  shed.  I  have  had  but  a  few  hornless  goats. 
I  always  select  bucks  both  by  pedigree  and  individual  merit." 

Air.  W.  G.  Hughes,  of  Hastings.  Kendall  County,  Texas, 
says  : 

"T  do  not  remember  ever  having  seen  any  Angoras  with  fur  under 
the  hair ,  resembling  Cashmere  wool,  (or  'pushm')nor  can  I  believe 
that  it  would  be  advisable  to  propagate  it  if  found.  First,  because  of 
the  difficulty  of  separating  it  from  the  other  part  of  the  fleece;  second, 
because  it  would  be  so  light  that  the  cost  of  raising  it  would  be  so 
great,  we  could  hardly  expect  to  get  a  remunerative  price  year  in  and 
year  out.  owing  to  the  fact  that  sale  for  it  would  largely  depend  upon 
temporary  fashions,  and  not  permanent  demand,  and  fashions  are  pro- 
verbially fickle. 

"As  to  goats  that  do  not  shed.  Most  Angoras  that  have  come  under 
my  notice  do  not  shed,  though  some  will  shed  one  year,  and  not  in  an- 
other, I  believe  that  if  the  goat  is  poor  in  the  winter  and  fattens  rapidly 
in  the  spring,  it  is  more  apt  to  shed  than  if  it  comes  through  the  winter 
in  good  shape.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  kids;  that  is,  those  that  are 
six  months  or  a  year  old  when  first  shorn.  I  like  to  ^ee  them  retain 
their  stubble,  and  believe  it  to  be  a  sign  of  thrift. 

"I  have  noticed  in  some  of  the  flocks  a  tendency  to  grow  a  fleece 
with  considerable  oil  in  it.  Those  I  have  seen  have  invariably  had  a 
coarser  fibre  of  hair  than  the  'non-oily'  ones,  and  I  have  always  tried  to 
avoid  this  class  of  goat,  having  reason  to  believe  that  there  is  no  ad- 
vantage in  it,  and  that  the  excess  of  weight  is  only  an  unnecessary  drain 
on  the  goat,  because  if  there  is  no  intrinsic  advantage  to  the  staple,  buy- 
ers must  sooner  or  later  discriminate  against  it,  when  purchasing,  to  the 
extent  of  the  shrinkage,  just  as  they  new  do  with  wool.  My  present 
opinion  is  also  largely  based  upon  the  same  estimate  of  its  value  placed 


Breeding— Past  Experience— Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    ^27 

by  Mr.  Schreiner  in  his  very  interesting  work,  'The  Angora  Goat,' 
(published  by  Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  New  York,)  and  on  similar  infor- 
mation which  that  gentleman  very  kindly  gave  me  some  years  before  his 
book  appeared  in  print.  Indeed,  it  was  largely  due  to  this  that  I  have 
been  able  to  avoid  what  I  now  regard  as  a  pit-fall,  as  our  breeders  are, 
at  present,  going  through  experiences  which  were  gone  through  years 
ago  by  the  Cape  farmers. 

"The  latter  have  tried  the  excessive  oil  extreme  which  is  now  avoided 
by  the  best  breeders." 

Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  of  Laguna,  Texas,  says: 

"I  have  never  seen  an  Angora  with  but  one  coat  ol  mohair,  but  often 
an  undercoat  of  kemp.  The  difference  is,  'kemp'  is  a  white,  smooth, 
coarse  hair,  hollow  in  the  centre,  with  cells,  or  scales,  on  the  outside,  filled 
with  glue  and  transparent  oil,  in  all  healthy,  fat  goats.  I  have  seen  goats 
that  never  shed,  and  when  shorn,  would  grow  hair  from  the  stubble  like 
a  sheep.  I  sheared  a  doe  in  1875  on  Guadalupe  Island,  ofif  the  coast  of 
Lower  California  that  measured  twenty-two  inches  long  and  had  grown 
for  two  years. 

"I  have  had  kids  dropped  with  two  and  one-half  inches  of  pure  mo- 
hair on  them,  and  never  shed,  any  more  than  a  Merino  sheep. 

"Regarding  bucks.  I  first  look  to  a  goat's  ancestors,  and  if  all  is 
right,  then  to  the  covering  and  character  of  fleece,  the  form,  constitution, 
and  individual  merits  generally. 

"I  purchased  the  only  hornless  buck  that  ever  came  to  America, 
bred  him  to  250  does,  mostly  grades.  I  think  they  are  a  distinct  breed, 
for  they  have  no  kemp,  and  only  one  kind  of  hair.  The  one  I  had  was  a 
very  heavy  shearer,  but  rather  too  coarse.  I  sold  his  hair,  generally,  for 
wig-making." 

Doughter  &  Ltittrell,  Lipan,  Hood  County,  Texas,  say : 

"Our  observation  has  been  that  it  is  owing  to  the  time  of  birth  of  a 
goat,  that  makes  it  shed  at  different  times  in  the  spring.  We  have  some 
goats  that  do  not  shed  at  all." 

Tom  S.  Evans,  Exile  P.  O.,  Texas,  says  : 

"If  pure-bred  bucks  are  used  and  the  same  style  of  hair,  or  sire  is 
used  continually,  <locks  can  be  bred  to  uniformity  in  hair,  and  to  shed- 
ding, too.  If  one  gets  a  good  buck,  who  marks  his  kids,  they  should 
keep  him,  and  do  all  they  can  to  get  another  of  same  stock  and  appear- 
ance. The  test  of  all  pure-blood  animals  is  the  power  to  transmit  its 
qualities  to  its  offspring.     Most  grade  ai'iiiwls  are  better  than  their  sires." 


228  A  Nczv  Industry. 

Mr.  H.  B.  Marshall,  Austin,  Texas,  has  only  seen  a  very 
few  goats  that  do  not  shed. 

Mr.  B.  F.  Lovvry,  Camp  San  Saba,  Texas,  has  also  seen  very 
fcxv  non-shedding  goats. 

Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  of  Kyle,  Texas,  says,  that  up  to  the 
lime  he  disposed  of  his  goats  to  Mr.  W.  E.  Hughes,  he  had  never 
observed  that  any  of  them  retained  their  stubble  after  shearing 
He  always  supposed  they  all  shed  their  fleece  regularly. 

Hon.  B.  L.  Crouch,  Pearsall.  Texas,  says: 

"As  lo  the  Angora  goats  shedding  ilieir  fleece  my  best  bred  goats 
shed  their  fleece  every  spring  if  not  sheared  early,  and  it  always  seemed 
to  me  that  those  thriving  most  rapidly,  shed  first,  though  in  this  I  may 
be  slightly  in  error.  But  I  also  observed,  that  if  there  came  rains  in 
October  sufficient  to  make  new  vegetation  abundant,  many  of  my  goats 
would  shed  their  fleeces  partial  in  October  and  November,  and  for  this 
reason  I  adopted  the  practice  of  shearing  twice  a  year — in  September 
and  March." 

Mr.  Geo.  W.  Baylor,  Montell,  Texas,  says  : 

"I  have  never  observed  any  fur  under  the  mohair.  Plenty  of  goats 
do  not  shed  in  the  spring.  It  is  generally  some  goat  whose  hair  is  in 
good  growing  condition  when  shorn,  and  it  keeps  on  growing.  But  it  is 
better  for  them  to  shed  in  the  spring.  They  ahed  sleek  ni  Angora,  in  the 
spring,  as  soon  as  it  gets  warm,  and  the  green  feed  comes.  I  think 
all  kids  shed  their  kid,  or  first  hair.  They  are  not  born  with  mohair  on 
them.     It  is  rather  a  coarse  hair,   more  resembling  kemp. 

"I  have  not  a  hornless  goat  in  my  flocks.  I  rather  think  it  a  freak. 
In  breeding,  I  first  am  sure  of  the  pedigree,  and  then  I  pick  for  individ- 
ual merit." 

A-Ir.  James  McDonald,  Morrison,  Oregon,  says : 

"I  think  condition  governs  the  shedding  of  an  animal.  None  of 
my  kids  .ever  shed  their  first  hair." 

Mr.  Geo.  A.  Houck,  Eugene,  Oregon,  says: 

"I  attribute  shedding  of  goats  at  different  periods  in  the  season  to 
the  condition  of  the  animal.  As  to  goats  not  shedding  at  all,  I  have 
never  observed  such,  but  all  of  my  good  goats  sprout  new  mohair  almost 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossi)ig  the  Angora.    229 

as  soon  as  the  old  stubble  sheds  off.  The  kids  all  shed  their  kid  hair  with 
me.  I  have  a  few  nannies  and  wethers  without  horns,  but  I  consider  it  a 
freak.  These  goats  I  bought  from  other  breeders.  M}^  own  goats  all 
have   horns." 

Mr.  D.  A.  Walker,  Carlton,  Oregon,  says  : 

"My  opinion  has  been  that  if  a  goat  is  very  lousy  it  will  shed  early, 
and  if  not,  it  will  shed  when  it  begins  to  thrive  in  the  spring." 

Mr.  Jas.  Wilder,  Paskenta,  Cal,  says : 

"I  had  three  bucks  that  were  not  sheared  last  spring,  that  carried 
their  fleeces  till  the  shearing  in  the  fall." 

Mr.  J.  C.   Hightowcr.  Rnidosa,  N.  M.,  says : 

"I  have  observed  that  a  number  of  my  goats  do  not  shed  their  hair 
after  they  shed  their  first  kid  hair,  and  their  first  fleece  of  mohair  grows 
on  until  they  get  to  be  two  or  three  years  old,  and  after  they  pass  that 
age,  they  shed  regularly  every  year.  I  have  observed,  too,  that  after 
they  pass  that  age  that  some  only  shed  over  a  portion  of  their  body. 

Mr.  Oscar  Tom,  Angora,  Oregon,  says : 

"I  have  never  observed  an  Angora  goat  that  did  not  shed,  nor  any- 
body e'se,  imless  it  was  dead  poor,  and  would  die  before  the  second  year. 
Any  healthy  goat  will  shed  in  the  spring  the  same  as  a  horse." 

Mr.  D.  C.  Taylor,  Lake  Valley,  N.  M.,  says  : 

"I  have  about  2600  goats,  and  but  a  very  few  of  them  shed  any." 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  Platteville.  Iowa,  says  : 

"I  am  quite  positive  about  some  Angoras  not  shedding,  having  ob- 
served it  often;  also  kids  that  do  not  shed  their  first  kid  hair.  I  have 
seen  some  few  goats  that  had  a  double  coat,  but  the  under  one  was  kemp." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Hightowcr,  imder  date  of  May  3rd,  1900,  writes  as 
follows : 

"In  the  questions  which  I  endeavored  to  answer  for  you  last  fall  I 
believe  I  stated  I  had  not  observed  any  undergrowth  of  fine  wool  in 
the  goats  in  this  country.  I  wish  to  state  now,  that,  since  that  time  I 
have  observed  such  a  growth  on  one  of  my  goats  which  came  from  Col. 
Richard  Peters'  flock  in  Atlanta,  Ga.     The  animal  is  a  buck  ten  years  old 


230  A  Xczc  Industry. 

and  I  send  you  a  sample  *  of  his  fleece  which  you  can  see  has  two  very 
distinct  kinds  of  hair.  The  hair  was  plucked  from  him  while  he  was 
shedding." 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  Mr.   Hightower  says  : 

"The  under-hair,  as  near  as  I  can  judge,  developes  in  the  winter. 
As  to  the  outer-hair  shedding  I  will  say  this  spring  is  the  first  time  the 
guat  has  shed.  This  year  he  shed  off  sleek  and  clean,  the  outer-coat  as 
well  as  the  under-coat." 

Mr.  Jno.  S.  Harris,  of  Oakley,  Idaho,  writes  me  that  when  he 
was  in  Constantinople  he  saw  a  sample  of  mohair  that  was  sent 
by  Mr.  W.  M.  Landrum  to  Mr.  Jno.  R.  Thompson.  The  mohair 
had  been  grown  in  Guadalupe  Island,  ofif  the  coast  of  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia, and  was  two  years'  growth. 

With  reference  to  two  distinct  coats  of  hair,  he  says  : 

"I  never  saw  such  a  goat,  but  it  is  iiuite  common  for  some  to  have 
more  or  less  'koiip'  in  the  hair.  Some  years,  a  goat  will  have  more, 
and  another  year  it  will  have  much  less.  It  all  depends  on  the  condition 
of  the  goat,  and  the  kind  of  season  we  have. 

"After  I  came  back  from  Angora  to  California,  an  old  gentleman, 
that  lived  on  the  coast  at  Monterey,  wrote  to  me  that  he  wanted  to 
exchange  two  hundred  common  goats  for  two  high-graded  Angora 
bucks,  so  I  went  to  see  him  and  his  goats.  I  lived  about  seventy  miles 
on  the  west  side  of  the  San  Joaquin.  When  I  looked  at  his  goats,  they 
were  long-haired  Mexican  goats,  and  through  curiosity  I  caught  one  and 
examined  its  hair,  and  it  had  an  undercoating  of  fur  like  the  Tarsus 
goats.  I  said  to  the  man  the  only  objection  I  had  to  his  goats  was  thai 
they  were  long-haired.  As  the  party  I  wanted  to  trade  them  to  preferred 
short-haired  Mexican  goats,  ss  they  were  more  suitable  to  cross  with 
the  Angora.  He  stated  to  me  that  when  he  first  took  a  notion  to  get 
goats  some  fourteen  years  before,   he  went  to  the  east  side  of  the   San 


*The  sample  of  outer-hair,  referred  to  by  Mr.  Hightower,  is  about 
twelve  inches  in  length,  and  quite  coarse,  the  under-hair  is  very 
fine  and  about  four  inches  i;.  length,  resembling  fur  at  the  base,  and 
about  one-half  the  diameter  of  the  outer  fleece  at  the  extreme  end. 

The  hair  is  very  straight  and  very  much  like  Mal'^ese  goat  hair,  but 
this  is  doubtless  owing  to  the  age  of  the  animal'  It  was  very  thought- 
ful in  Mr.  Hightower  to  call  attention  to  this  matter,  and  it  is  quite 
evident  that  the  animal  is  a  descendant  of  the  "Cashmere  '"  goat. 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    231 

Joaquin  and  bought  him  two  hundred  head  of  Mexican  goats.  The  hair, 
at  that  time,  of  these  goats  was  short,  and  every  generation  with  him 
the  hair  was  getting  longer.  He  showed  me  hair  he  had  clipped  off  his 
goats  for  the  making  of  hair  rope,  that  was  eight  inches  long.  Now, 
according  to  my  opinion,  it  is  climate  that  influences  and  controls  every 
thing  that  lives,  man  or  beast,  trees  and  herbs,  of  every  kind.  What 
I  mean  by  climate,  is  the  air,  water  and  the  elements  that  are  in  the 
earth." 

Bearing-  upon  this  question,  the  following  letter  from  Mr. 
John  Kennedy,  a  prominent  breeder  of  sheep  and  Polled- Angus 
cattle,  in  Menard  County,  Texas,  will  be  of  interest : 

"Deervale  Ranch,  Menard  County,  Texas. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black: 

"Dear  Sir — Referring  to  'non-shedding'  Angora  goats,  I  have  never 
observed  such  an  animal  that  I  know  of,  but  I  can  see  no  good  reason 
why  such  a  type  should  not  exist.  We  have,  in  our  sheep  family,  a  very 
great  variety  of  wool-bearing  animals,  and  I  should  think  the  same 
peculiarity  would  be  entirely  natural  with  the  mohair  goat.  The  Cheviot 
sheep,  for  instance,  always  sheds  its  fleece,  and  so  does  the  Lincoln,  and 
perhaps  others  that  I  have  had  no  particular  acquaintance  with,  but, 
with  the  types  I  have  mentioned,  I  have  had  more  or  less  experience 
in  Scotland,  and  I  know  it  is  natural  for  them  to  shed  ofi  their  wool 
every  spring,  and  it  is  the  custom  always  to  wait  until  the  new  wool 
begins  to  grow  before  shearing  them.  If  they  are  not  sheared  the  wool 
will  peal  off  in  flakes,  and  will  very  soon  all  disappear,  and  the  new 
growth  take  its  place. 

"With  some  varieties  of  sheep,  this  is  not  the  case,  as,  for  instance, 
the  Merino,  and  the  Shropshire,  which  will  hold  their  wool  from  year  to 
year,  and,  as  above  stated,  I  see  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  a 
type  of  the  same  character  in  the  Angora  goat  family. 

"I  consider  the  matter  a  very  important  one,  and  shall  watch  the 
result   of  your   experiments   with   great   interest. 

"Yours  truly, 

"JNO.  KENNEDY." 


"HORNLESS    ANGORAS." 

The  hornless  type  is  not  so  remarkable  as  they  are  known  to 
exist  in  Turkey,  yet  are  very  rare,  both  in  South  Africa  and 
this  cotuitry. 

Mr.  Schreiner  says : 


'232   ■  A  New  Industry. 

"There  are  other  varieties  in  the  modern  Angora,  due,  I  believe^ 
to  the  original.  Angora  having  been,  crossed  with  other  breeds.  For 
instance,  Conolly  says:  'A  curious  statement  made  to  us  at  Angora  was, 
that  only  the  white  goats  which  have  horns  wear  their  fleece  in  the  long, 
curly  locks  that  are  so  much  admired;  those  that  are  not  horned  having  a 
comparatively  close  coat,  I  can  not  add  anything  to  this  statement,  not 
having  had  the  point  suggested  when.  I  was  farming  goats,  but  Mr. 
Binns  says  it  is  devoid  of  fact.  It  may,  however,  be  remembered  that  the 
female  of  Capra  Aegagrus  is  occasionally  hornless,  though  I  cannot  see 
that  this  has  any  bearing  on  the  statement  made  to  Conolly.  It  will 
be  interesting  if  observant  men  engaged  in  the  industry  will  notice  if 
hornless  goats  (which,  by  the  way,  are  very  .rare  in  this  colony)  have  not, 
as  a  rule,  the  curled  locks  in  so  pronounced  a  degree  as  those  that  are 
horned.  This  peculiarity,  if  it  does  exist,  may  not,  of  course,  be  due  to 
the  influence  of  some  cross;  the  variations  may  simply  be  collateral. 
Further,  crossing  has  been  so  universal  and  has  had  such  an  overwhelm- 
ing effect  that  a  variation  which  might  have  been  pronounced  in  1840 
(the  date  of  Conolly's  paper),  might  be  almost  obliterated  now,  espec- 
ially in  the  Cape,  where  the  Boer  goat  has  exercised  such  a  powerful 
and  far-reaching  influence."     See  Schreiner,  p.  100. 

Br.  Bachman  says : 

"In  the  northern  provinces  of  China  there  are  goats  of  a  small  size 
which  yield  wool  as  abundantly  as  the  sheep  of  the  same  country.  Ex- 
tending over  the  varied  surface  of  Hindustan,  the  goats  assume  a 
prodigious  diversity  of  color,  aspect  and  form.  Sometimes  they  have 
horns,  and  sometimes  they  are  destitute  of  them;  sometimes  they  have 
long,  pendulous  ears;  sometimes  they  have  a  short  fur,  like  that  of  a 
fawn,  and  sometimes  fine,  silky  hair,  falling  in  glossy  ringlets  on  each 
side  of  the  dorsal  line.  The  largest  of  the  goats  of  Hindustan  are  brought 
from  Cabul,  Thibet,  and  the  highlands  of  Persia.  The  varieties  in  form, 
color,  and  quantities  of  pelage,  under  which  these  various  breeds  of  goats 
are  presented  will  account  for  the  great  difference  in  the  figures  of  what 
are  called  Cashmere  goats.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Thibet  shawl, 
and  the  Angora  goats.  In  a  word,  they  are  all  of  one  species,  but  under 
many  varieties;  breeds  have  become  permanent,  and  some  are  infinitely 
more  valuable  than  others.  Local  names  have  attached  to  these  various 
breeds,  many  of  which  are  still  confined  to  the  herdsmen  of  the  East. 
To  the  farmer,  the  possession  of  the  most  valuable  breed  of  goats  is  of 
far  more  importance  than  the  name  by  which  it  is  designated."  (See 
Agtl.  Dept.   Report,   1857,  p.  58.) 

Mr.  Diehl  imported  a  hornless  Castomboul  buck  in  1870, 
which  was  sold  to  Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  who  took  it  to  Cali- 
fornia.    Mr.  Landrum  writes  me  on  this  subject,  as  follows: 


O  4) 

■a  o 


-3  3."^ 
0.        tS 


9  «'  £ 

.2  is! 


egos. 


O  cS 
■    J3  D 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    235- 

"I  selected  two  bucks  from  the  Diehl  &  Brown  importation,  one  of 
which  was  the  celebrated  Castomboul  hornless  buck  which  sheared  twenty 
pounds,  but  too  coarse  for  any  use  but  for  making  wigs.  I  bred  him  only 
one  year,  mostly  to  graded  ewes." 

"In  Fitzinger's  Natural  History  (German),  figures  212-215^ 
there  are  four  good  views  of  the  hircus  capra  pillosa,  the  rough- 
haired  domestic  goat,  the  Cashmere,  and  the  Thibetian,  in  which 
the  Cashmere  is  represented  with  a  black  neck  and  white  face, 
almost  straight,  round,  pointed  horns,  long,  coarse,  white 
hair,  tail  six  inches  long;  while  the  Thibetian  goat  is  repre- 
sented with  a  long  smooth  neck,  a  shape-like  head,  hornless, 
short  hair,  with  an  immense  udder,  indicative  of  a  pfood  milker 
rather  than  a  fleece-bearing  animal."  (See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report, 
1863,  p.  221.) 

Mr.  S.  S.  McKibben,  of  Earlham,  Madison  County,  Iowa, 
secured  a  hornless  goat  from  a  lot  he  had  purchased  in  Texas, 
and,  having  a  preference  for  polled  stock  of  all  kinds,  he  con- 
cluded to  breed  him  to  see  if  he  would  breed  true  to  type.  His 
first  experiment  was  in  the  spring  of  1898,  with  eight  horned 
does,  and  the  result  was  seven  hornless  kids,  and  one  that 
had  horns. 

Mr.  McKibben  writes  me  the  following  description  of  this 
animal,  which  he  has  name  "Dewey,"  and  whose  pho- 
tograph is  here  given : 

"Earlham,    Iowa,    Sept.    10,    1899. 
"Mr.    Wm.    L.    Black,    Fort   McKavett,   Texas: 

"Dear  Sir — Referring  to  my  hornless  buck,  'Admiral  Dewey,'  he 
was  dropped  in  the  spring  of  1898,  and  came  to  me  with  a  lot  of  Angora 
goats  that  were  shipped  from  Texas,  in  July  of  that  year.  I  concluded  not 
to  sell  him,  as  I  had  a  preference  for  polled  stock  of  all  kinds,  and  was 
anxious  to  see  if  I  could  perpetuate  the  type.  At  the  age  of  about  eight 
months, 'Dewey' showed  to  be  a  very  well  developed  animal,  and  was  much 
larger  and  heavier-boned  than  any  of  the  horned  goats  of  the  same  age. 
In  December  of  1898,  I  bred  him  to  eight  horned  does,  and  they  dropped 
eight  very  finely  developed  kids,  the  May  following,  seven  of  which  were 
hornless,  and  very  much  like  'Dewey'  one  had  the  same  kind  of  (lop) 
ears  like  the  does,  the  remainder  having  (fox)  ears,  like  himself. 

"I  herewith  enclose,  you  a  photograph  showing  'Dewey'  and  two 
of  his  kids.  I  shall  breed  him  in  December  to  about  seventy-five  doesi; 
and  feel  quite  confident  the  result  will  be  equally  as  favorable  as  above 
stated. 


236  A  Nezv  Industry. 

"Referring  to  the  general  disposition  of  'Dewey'  I  would  state  he 
is  very  gentle,  and  never  shows  the  slightest  inclination  to  fight,  or  buck, 
which  is  a  common  characteristic  with  the  horned  goat,  often  resulting 
in  the  breaking  of  a  leg  by  hooking  each  other  in  play. 

"The  hair  of  'Dewey'  is  of  a  wavy  character,  very  fine  in  fibre,  and 
well  distributed  over  the  entire  body.  It  grows  to  about  the  length  of 
eight  to  ten  inches.  Dewey  promises  to  be  much  larger  than  any  goat 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  he  should  reach  a  weight 
of   175    pounds.  Yours    truly, 

"S.   S.  McKIBBEN.- 

To  my  own  mind,  it  is  not  surprising  that  these  different 
types  of  Angora  goats  exist,  for  it  has  l^een  the  experience  of 
all  cross-breeding  of  domestic  animals,  in  the  past  that^  some 
new  type  has  cropped  out  from  time  to  time,  which,  when  pre- 
served, and  bred  with  care,  has  been  developed  into  a  distinct 
breed. 

Darwin  says : 

"The  many  breeds  of  dogs  and  cattle  may  arise  from  more  than  one 
species,  but  probably  those  of  horses  and  fowls;  and,  clearly  those  of 
rabbits,  ducks  and  pigeons  are  each  descended  from  a  single  species. 
In  this  respect  the  breeds  of  pigeons  are  of  peculiar  importance,  since  not 
only  cairrier  and  tumbler,  runt  and  barb,  pouter  and  fan-tail,  but  at 
least  a  score  of  varieties  might  be  chosen  which  differ  so  thoroughly, 
internally,  as  well  as  externally,  that  an  ornithologist  treating  them  as 
wild  birds  would  be  compelled  to  grant  them  specific,  and  even  distinct 
generic,  rank.  Yet,  since  all  these  have  indisputably  arisen  from  the 
wild  rock  dove  (Columba  liz'ia)  it  is  clear  that  naturalists,  who  admit 
a  unity  to  such  domestic  races,  which  professed  breeders  have  often 
laughed  to  scorn,  should,  in  turn,  be  cautious  before  deriding  the  unity 
of  wild  ones. 

"How  then  have  domestic  races  been  produced?  By  external  con- 
ditions, or  habits,  alone.  One  of  their  most  remarkable  features  is,  in 
exhibiting  adaptation,  not  to  their  own  good,  but  to  man's  use  or  fancy 
We  know  that  all  the  breeds  were  not  produced  as  perfect  as  we  now  see 
them,  and  the  key  is  man's  power  of  accumulative  selection;  nature  gives 
successive  variations,  man  adds  them  up,  making  for  himself  useful 
breeds. 

"Skilful  breeders  speak  of  the  organization  as  plastic  and  under 
control,  and  have  efifected  extensive  modifications  within  our  own  gen- 
eration. Unconscious  selection,  which  results  from  every  one  trying  to 
possess  and  breed  the  best  individuals,   is   even  more   important.     This 


^^^^^^^^^^^^1 

1 

^■K^^ 

i 

%'  fll 

H 

-•ft     «*? 

S^   S.    M.lKIBBON, 
Showing  one  of  liis  H  unless  Kids,  four  niontli; 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    239 

accumulated  change  explains  why  we  so  often  cannot  recognize  the  wild 
parent  stocks  of  our  cultivated  plants,  while  its  absence  in  countries 
inhabited  by  uncivilized  man,  explains  why  these  never  yield  plants 
worth  immediate  culture.  Man's  power  of  selection  is  facilitated  by  keep- 
ing large  numbers,  in  which  variations  are  more  likely  to  occur.  Facility 
in  preventing  crosses  is  also  of  importance,  as  of  pigeons,  contrasted  with 
cats;  some  species  are,  however,  less  variable  than  others,  e.  g.,  the 
goose." 

He  also  says: 

"A  race  of  cattle  called  'Dutch  buttocked,'  was  formed  in  Yorkshire 
by  selecting  in  each  generation  the  animal  with  the  largest  hind  quar- 
ters. When  the  breed  began  to  be  established,  it  was  found  that  the 
large  size  of  the  calves'  hind  quarters  increased  the  dangers  of  parturi- 
tion to  a  considerable  extent.  This  case  is  interesting  as  showing  that 
hurtful  peculiarities  may  be  inherited  just  as  leadily  as  those  which  are 
beneficial,  and,  as  bearing  witness  to  the  improbability  of  the  view  that 
there  is  an  innate  tendency  to  vary  in  the  right  direction." 

In  his  work  on  the  "Origin  of  the  Species,"  this  renowned 
naturalist  says : 

"I  have  discussed  the  probable  origin  of  domestic  pigeons  at  some,- 
though  insufficient  length,  because,  when  I  first  kept  pigeons,  and  watched 
the  several  kinds,  well  knowing  how  truly  they  breed,  I  felt  fully  as  much 
difficulty  in  believing  that  since  they  had  been  domesticated  they  had 
all  proceeded  from  a  common  parent,  as  any  naturalist  could  in  coming 
to  a  similar  conclusion  in  regard  to  the  many  species  of  finches,  or 
other  groups  of  birds,  in  nature. 

"One  circumstance  has  struck  me  much,  namely,  that  nearly  all  the 
breeders  of  the  various  domestic  animals,  and  the  cultivators  of  plants, 
with  v.'honi  I  have  conversed,  or  whose  treatises  I  have  read,  are  firmly 
convinced  that  the  several  breeds  to  which  each  has  attended  are  de- 
scended from  so  many  aboriginally  distinct  species.  Ask,  as  I  have  asked, 
a  celebrated  raiser  of  Hereford  cattle,  whether  his  cattle  might  have  not 
descended  from  long-horns,  or  both  from  a  common  parent  stock,  and  he 
will  laugh  you  to  scorn.  I  have  never  met  a  pigeon,  or  poultry,  or  duck, 
or  rabbit  fancier,  who  was  not  fully  convinced  that  each  main  breed  was 
descended  from  a  distinct  species."     (See  "Origin  of  the  Species,"  p.  23.) 

But  is  quite  unnecessary,  I  think,  to  dwell  upon  this,  for  it 
is  known  to  all  American  and  English  breeders  that  most  of 
our  present  fine  types  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  have 
been  produced  by  selecting  the  finest  specimens  and  breeding 
them    separately.      Some   may  have   originated   from    so-called 


240  A  Nezv  Industry. 

sports,  or  freaks ;  but,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  believe  that  these 
sports  or  freaks,  would  not  have  been  produced,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  cross-breeding  which  had  been  followed  before? 

In  the  face  of  such  convincing  testimony  as  I  have  referred 
to,  it  is  idle,  in  my  opinion,  for  anyone  to  undertake  to  describe 
a  "thoroughbred  Angora  goat"  at  this  time.  An  animal  with 
wavy  hair,  measuring  six  inches  in  length,  and  with  fox-like  ears, 
may  have  as  much  right  to  that  proud  title  as  one  which  has 
hair  hanging  in  beautiful  ringlets  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  in 
length,  with  long  pendant  ears. 

The  valuable  American  Merino  sheep  of  today  bears  but 
little  resemblance  to  the  Spanish  Merino  which  was  improved 
by  careful  selection  of  the  best  types  ;  and,  the  French  Ramboul- 
let  owes  its  origin  entirely  to  the  same  course  of  breeding. 

Mr.  Henry  Stewart,  in  his  recently  (1898)  published  work 
on  "The  Domestic  Sheep,"  says : 

"Every  existing  breed  of  sheep  has  been  differentiated  from  the  wild 
race  by  human  agency."     (See  Stewart,  p.  239.) 

It  is  therefore  quite  possible  to  bring  about  the  same  result 
with  the  mohair  goat,  if  the  same  caie  is  exercised  in  selecting 
and  breeding. 

Mr.  Bachman,  in  concluding  his  report  on  the  "Davis" 
goats,  says : 

"Since  it  possesses  the  characteristics  of  all  the  other  domesticated 
animals,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that,  by  judicious  breeding  and  devot- 
ing to  this  subject  the  same  attention  that  breeders  in  England  bestow 
on  their  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine,  an  equal  number  of  improved 
varieties  will  be  produced.  We  are,  at  present,  unacquainted  with  any 
superior  variety  of  goat,  with  which  this  might  be  crossed  to  improve 
the  fineness  of  the  wool.  Improved  individuals,  however,  spring  up  in 
these  varieties  themselves,  without  any  foreign  admixture;  and,  by  select- 
ing these,  and  separating  them  from  the  common  stock,  we  have  at  once 
a  new  breed,  which  soon  becomes  a  permanent  race. 

"Let  us,  in  these  matters,  follow  the  teachings  of  Nature,  in  all  her 
departments.  How  were  the  varieties  of  Sea  Island  cotton,  or  large 
rice,  or  prolific  corn,  wheat,  etc.,  produced?  A  few  stalks  of  these 
superior  qualities  were  detected  in  the  fields.  Thus  far  it  was  the  free 
gift  of  a  beneficent  Creator.  Man,  his  agent,  now  selected  and  cultivated 
them  separate  from  the  others.     Thus,  a  valuable  variety  was  obtained 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    241- 

that  may,  by  proper  care,  be  perpetuated.  In  the  'Courier  des  Etats 
Unis,'  we  have  a  long  and  interesting  account  of  a  Merino  sheep  in 
France,  which,  instead  of  wool,  produced  fine  silken  hair.  The  breed 
was  perpetuated,  and  goes  under  the  name  of  'Cashmere  sheep.' 

"At  the  Universal  Exhibition,  in  Paris,  it  was  affirmed  by  the 
judges  of  one  of  the  shawls  made  of  this  hair  that  'they  found  this  (as 
they  named  it)  native  Cashmere,  as  soft  and  as  brilliant  as  the  imported 
and  that  it  was  superior  to  the  latter  on  account  of  its  regularity  of  detail." 
(See  Agtl.  Dept.  Report,  1857,  p.  65.) 


WEIGHT   OF   CARCASS. 

Is  an  important  feature  that  should  not  be  lost 
sight  of  by  the  American  breeder.  The  reports  I  have 
received  upon  this  subject,  which  may  be  found  in  detail  under 
the  head  of  "Notes  From  Practical  Breeders,"  indicate  the 
weights  of  Angora  goats  as  ranging  from  75  pounds  up  to  175 
pounds.  It  is  manifestly  to  the  best  interest  of  the  industry  that 
as  large  an  animal  as  possible  should  be  propagated,  and  it  is  well 
that  breeders  should  keep  this  in  view,  when  it  is  possible  to 
combine  it  without  too  large  a  sacrifice  of  the  more  important 
essential,  a  good  class  of  combing  mohair. 

In  a  letter  from  Mr.  S.  S.  Brannin,  of  Marysville,  Mont., 
he  says : 

"There  is  no  doubt  but  what  they  grow  larger  in  the  Northern 
country,  than  farther  South,  as  my  three-year-old  muttons  average  ten 
to  fifteen  pounds  more  than  in  New  Mexico,  where  I  brought  them  from. 
I  have  also  noticed  an  increase  in  quantity,  and  quality,  of  mohair. 

"I  made  a  trip,  last  summer,  through  the  western  part  of  this  State, 
for  the  purpose  of  learning  what  I  could  of  the  wild  goat.  We  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  a  good  many,  and  killed  one  so  as  to  more  closely 
examine  them,  and  I  find  they  are  a  genuine  goat  in  every  particular. 
The  great'^st  difference  from  the  domestic  goat  being  in  the  head  and  face 
which  is  much  longer  and  thinner.  They  are  much  larger,  however,  the 
bucks  weighing  as  much  as  three  hundred  pounds.  In  color  they  are  en- 
tirely white,  and  in  winter  they  are  covered  with  an  immense  coat  of 
fine  wool,  with  long,  coarse  hair  on  the  neck,  legs,  and  withers.  The 
bucks  have  a  long  beard  under  the  chin.  Horns  are  black,  and  smaller 
than  the  domestic  goat.  Legs  are  short.  Feet  near  the  size  of  a  yearling 
calf.  They  inhabit  the  high  rocky  ranges,  their  habits  being  exactly  the 
same  as  that  of  the   tame   goat. 


2U^  A  New  Industry. 

"A  person  will  have  no  trouble  in  locating  their  range  as  the  country 
is  completely  strewn  with  wool.  I  send  you  herewith  a  sample  of  this 
wool." 

It  would,  indeed,  l^e  interesting  to  see  what  a  cross  from  this 
wild  species  with  an  Angora  goat  would  result  in,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  some  of  the  breeders  in  Montana,  or  neighboring 
Territories,  will  endeavor  to  make  this  experiment.  (See  Ap- 
pendix for  plate  and  particulars  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  goat.) 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CROSS  BREEDING,  OR  HOW  TO  GRADE  UP  THE 
"MEXICAN"  GOAT. 

The  "Mexican"  goat  consists  of  three  very  distinct  varie- 
ties, which  are  mixed  in  color,  the  white  predominating.  As  a 
rule,  they  are  thin  bodied,  leggy,  and  have  very  much  the  shape 
of  a  Mexican  sheep.  One  of  the  varieties  has  short,  coarse  hair, 
but  bright  and  glossy.  Another  has  short  hair,  which  has  a  dead, 
"kempy"  appearance  ;  and  the  third  has  long,  straight  hair,  some- 
times five  or  six  inches,  and  is  undoubtedly  a  descendant  of  the 
Maltese.  It  is  advisable  always  to  avoid  this  latter  kind,  as  they 
are  hard  to  improve.  Indeed,  it  is  next  to  an  impossibiUty  to 
completely  change  their  character.  Many  breeders,  especially 
in  the  early  day,  have  attempted  it,  doubtless  attracted  by  their 
long  hair,  which,  although  coarse  in  fibre,  is  very  pretty  and 
glossy,  and  would  seem  to  indicate  a  near  relationship  with  the 
long-haired  Angora,  but  they  are  no  kin  at  all,  and  the  fact  of 
their  having  retained  their  individuality  for  several  centuries,  in 
Mexico,  where  they  have  been  bred  and  interbred  with  the  short- 
haired  goat,  is  very  strong  evidence  of  their  great  strength  of 
blood. 

Col.  J.  Wash.  Watts,  of  South  Carolina,  appears  to  have  had 
some  experience  with  this  kind  of  goat,  he  says : 

"I  began  with  the  milk  goat;  had  two  varieties — the  long-haired 
'Maltese,'  and  the  short-haired  'South  American.'  About  the  year  1872 
I  came  in  possession  of  three  'Angoras,'  one  buck  and  two  does,  obtained 
from  the  Hon.  D.  Wyatt  Aiken,  our  member  of  Congress,  who  got 
the  buck  from  Col.  Peters,  of  Georgia,  and  a  splendid  animal  he  was. 
The  does  were  from  the  flock  of  the  late  Hon.  W.  H.  Stiles,  ex-Minister 
to  Austria,  who  made  an  importation  about  the  year  1860.  I  bred  the 
buck  to   my   milk   goats;   the   result  was   a     beautiful   lot   of  large,   well- 


2JfJf  A  Nczv  Industry. 

formed  half-breeds,  showing  no  fleece.  He  was  bred  to  his  kids  the  next 
fall,  which  produced  a  pretty  animal  with  considerable  fleece,  which  grew 
to  be  about  three  inches  in  length.  Those  descended  from  the  short- 
haired  goat  had  a  much  more  uniform  fleece  than  those  from  the  long- 
haired goat;  and,  some  of  those  retained  their  long,  straight  hair  through 
the  fourth  and  fifth  crosses." 

Col.  Watts  attributes  the  difficulty  in  improving  the  Mal- 
tese goat  to  the  fact  that,  "it  is  easier  to  breed  up  a  fleece  than  to 
change  one,"  which  is  a  very  reasonable  conclusion. 


MEXICAN   DOE,    WITH   TWO  ANGORA   KIDS, 


Dr.  Hayes  calls  attention  to  the  experience  of  M.  de  la  Tour 
de  Aigues,  president  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Agriculture  of 
France,  who,  in  1787,  introduced  some  hundreds  of  the  Angora 
goats  into  Europe  under  care  of  Turkish  shepherds,  where  they 
greatly  prospered.    He  affirms  that : 

"Even  after  the  sixteenth  generation  the  hair  of  the  crosses,  obtained 
by  crossing  the  Angora  buck  with  the  female  of  the  common  goat, 
remained  hair;   and,   although  it  was  elongated,   it   could   not'be   spun; 


Cross  Breeding — -Grading  up  the  ''Mexican''  Goat.  2J,o 

and,  although  they  procreate  with  our  goats,  we  can  never  hope  tc 
multiply  them  by  crossing  the  races,  because  the  vie-  of  the  mother  is 
t^ever  effaced. 

"If  some  individuals  approach  more  or  less  the  race  of  the  sire, 
the  hair  will  always  be  shorter,  and  too  coarse  to  be  worked."  (See 
Hayes,  p.  25.) 

At  the  time  (1868)  that  Dr.  Hayes  pubHshed  the  first  edi- 
tion of  his  work  on  the  "Angora  Goat,  Its  Culture  and  Pro- 
ducts," he  was  decidedly  of  the  opinion  it  was  not  possible  to 
cross  the  "Angora"  upon  any  of  the  lower  species  of  goats  suc- 
cessfully. He  was  undoubtedly  influenced  in  his  judgment  by 
the  opinion  of  that  eminent  breeder  of  sheep,  Dr.  Randall,  who 
always  maintained  that : 

1  "Base  blood  runs  out  rapidly  by  arithmetical  calculation;  but,  prac- , 
tically  it  stays  in,  and  is  ever  and  anon  cropping  out  by  exhibiting;. the! 
old  base  characteristics,   in  a  way  that  sets  all  calculations  at  defiah'ce."i 

He  also  referred  to  the  illustrious  naturalist,  M.  de  Ouat're-j 
fages,  who  had  recently  discussed,  in  his  lectures  at  the  Museum i 
d'Historie  Naturelle,  and  in  the  Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  the! 
principles  which  govern  the  formation  of  races,  thus :  .        \ 

"There  is  one  law  in  crossing  which  is  constantly  verified:  each  of| 
the  two  authors  tends  to  transmit  to  the  products,  at  the  same  time,; 
all  its  qualities,   good  or  bad."     (Sec  Hayes,   p.  21.)  i 

But  this  same  high  authority  also  says,  and  Dr..  Hayes | 
quoted  it  immediately  following  the  above,  but  does  not  seeiii' 
to  have  been  at  all  influenced  by  the  opinion  that 

"When  the  power  is  equal  in  the  two  parents,  the  product  will  have^ 
an  equal   mixture   of  the   qualities   of  the   parents;   there   will   be   a   pre--; 
dominance  of  the  qualities  of  one,  where  this  power  of  transmissabilit\ 
is  vmequal. 

"The  inequality  of  the  power  appears  to  be  much  greater  when  the 
races  are  nearest  each  other;  for,  sometimes,  the  crossing  between  such 
races  gives  a  product  which  seems  to  belong  entirely  to  one  of  the  two." 

In  a  subsequent  addition  of  his  book  (1882)  he  admits  the 
error  he  had  been  led  into,  and  frankly  says :   . 

"The  facts  at  my  command  in  1868,  seemed  to  justify  the  adoption 
of  the  theory  of  pure  breeding;  but,  theory  must  yield  to' inexorable  facts. 
I,  independently,  came  to  the  conclusion,  in  1877,  that  I  had  pushed  the 


.2J,<->  A  New  Industry. 

tlieory  too  far,  by  the  observation  of  a  remarkable  commercial  fact: 
The  Messrs.  Bowes,  in  their  statistics  of  wool  in  1876,  referring  to  the 
acclimation,  in  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  of  the  Angora 
goat,  and  the  production  of  mohair,  say:  'The  progress  made  during  the 
last  dozen  years  has  been  very  satisfactory,  not  only  as  regards  the 
quantity  produced,  but  the  quality,  which  has  been  very  much  improved. 
The  first  shipment  was  made  in  1865,  and  consisted  of  6,804  pounds; 
in  1869  two  hundred  and  forty-five  thousand  pounds  were  shipped;  and, 
in  1876,  the  quantity  reached  one  million,  two  hundred  and  ninety-eight 
thousand,    four   hundred   and    fifty-five   pounds.' 

PI.ATE  XI. 


SECOND  CROSS  ON   THE  MEXICAN   GOAT   BY  A  THOROUGHBRED  ANGORA  BUCK. 


"It  was  evident  to  me  that  this  quantity,  at  four  pounds  of  fleece  to 
each,  requiring  over  300,000  head,  could  not  have  grown  upon  pure 
animals,  as  they  could  not  have  been  procured  in  sufficient  numbers; 
and,  that  it  must  have  been  the   product  of   graded  animals. 

"A  conclusive  test  of  the  quality  of  the  mohair  thus  produced,  was 
the  fact  that  it  became  a  regular  article  of  export,  or  a  marketable  pro- 
duct."    (See  Hayes,  p.  50.) 

It  was  quite  reasonable  for  Dr.  Hayes  to  have  formed  the 
opinion  that  he  did,  in  18G8,  after  reading  of  the  experience  of 


Cross  Breeding — Grading  up  the  ''Mexican'  Goat. 


.U7 


M.  de  la  Tour  de  Aigues.  There  had  been  httle  or  no  advance- 
ment made  in  the  industry,  either  in  South  Africa  or  the  United 
States,  up  to  that  time ;  and,  it  was  quite  natural  that  he  should 
have  shared  the  opinion  of  those  who  had  made  the  experiment 
in  France.  The  only  explanation  that  can  be  advanced  for  the 
failure  of  M.  de  la  Tour  de  Aigues  is  that,  the  "Maltese"  goat  was 
the  foundation  upon  which  he  was  trying  to  build  up  his  flock 
of  grades. 


THIRD  CROSS  CN    THE    MEXICAN    GOAT    BY  A    THOROUGHBRED  ANGORA  BUCK. 
A  ililloiviici'  will  be  observe;!  in  the  ears,  while  the  lleece  is 


The  short-haired  'Mexican,"  that  presents  a  dead,  "kempy" 
appearance  is  much  more  difficult  to  improve  than  the  bright, 
"glossy"  variety,  a  fact  which  will  doubtless  explain  the  great 
difference  in  time  taken  by  some  raisers  in  this  country  to 
grade  up  their  goats.  It  is  quite  common  to  hear  of  goats 
having  been  bred  up  to  a  condition  of  absolute  freedom  from 


2J,S 


A  Nczv  Industry. 


"kemp,"  with  five  crosses;  while  others  have  had  to  contend 
with  a  streak  of  coarse  hair  along  the  neck  and  backbone,  or  on 
the  flanks  and  hind-quarters,  for  as  many  as  ten  crosses,  without 
even  then  being  able  to  entirely  remove  it,  which  is,  in  all 
probability,  due  to  the  use  of  the  dead,  "kempy"  variety. 

In  selecting  females  it  is  well  to  reject  all  poorly  shaped 
animals,  and  endeavor  to  get  as  large  and  as  uniform  a  lot  as 
possible. 


H 

^^m                                       '    '    > 

I^Bf''     m 

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Hliii.M^ftH 

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FOURTH  CROSS  ON  THE   MEXICAN  GOAT  BY  A  THOROUGHBRED  ANGORA  BUCK. 

The  same  diffeient-e  will  be  observed  in  the  ears  of  these  animals 
as  shown  in  the  third  cross. 

Color  is  not  important  as  a  black  doe  will  produce  a  white 
kid  with  as  much  certainty  as  a  white  one  will,  provided  the 
Angora  biick  has  been  sufficiently  improved  to  be  prepotent. 

FULL-BLOOD  Vg.    PURE-BRED. 

The  selection  of  a  sire  is,  indeed,  the  key  to  the  whole  sit- 
uation.    If  a  poor  one  is  employed,  improvement  will  be  slow 


Cross  Breeding — Grading  up  the  ''Mcxiean"  Goat.  2Jf9 

and  tiresome,  and  if  a  good  one  is   used,  the  change   in  the 
character  of  the  common  goat  will  be  marvelously  rapid. 

Col.  Richard  Peters  states  : 

"One  of  the  most  valuable,  interesting  and  remarkable  traits  of  the 
Angora  is  the  rapidity  with  which  fleece-bearing  goats  can  be  obtained 
by  using  thoroughbred  bucks  to  cross  on  the  common  short-haired 
ewe  goats  of  the  country.  The  second  cross  produces  a  goat  with  a  skin 
vauled  for  rugs,  mats  and  gloves.  The  fifth  cross  (known  by  many 
breeders  as  full-bloods)  will  yield  a  fleece  not  inferior  to  much  of  the 
mohair  imported  from  Asia  Minor.  The  fifth  cross  can  be  readily 
obtained  in  five  or  six  years.  Thoroughbred  bucks  should  always  be 
used,  because  the  progeny  of  the  so-called  full-blood  bucks  vary  greatly, 
and  the  upward  progress  is  by  no  means  satisfactory."  (See  Hayes, 
p.  51.) 

The  term  "full-blood"  is  of  American  origin,  as  applied  to 
goats,  at  least.  It  is  commonly  used  by  many  breeders  at  the 
present  time,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  it  is  a  much  more  appropriate 
term  than  "pure-bred,"  for  it  is  very  doubtful  if  there  is  one 
absolutely  pure-bred  Angora  goat  in  the  world,  in  the  strict  sense 
of  the  term,  owing  to  the  common  custom  of  cross-breeding  that 
has  been  practiced  in  Turkey,  South  Africa,  and  our  own  country 
for  the  past  fifty  years.  There  is  no  doubt  that,  when  the  term 
was  first  brought  into  use  (about  1870),  it  w^as  for  the  purpose 
of  leading  ignorant  buyers  to  believe  that  such  animals  possessed 
all  the  quahties  of  a  "pure-bred,"  or  "thoroughbred."  The  three 
terms  being  synonymous  made  the  practice  a  species  of  decep- 
tion, bordering  closely  on  to  fraud,  and  it  is,  no  doubt,  responsible 
for  the  failure  that  attended  the  efit'orts  of  many  of  our  early 
breeders. 

But  there  is  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  a  great  many 
Angora  goats  in  the  United  States  now  that  have  been  bred  up 
to  a  condition  of  purity,  from  short-haired  does,  equal  to  any 
animal  that  can  be  imported  from  abroad. 

The  most  essential  feature  in  a  buck  is  that  of  being 
able  to  transmit  a  strong  mohair-producing  quality,  in  the 
fewest  number  of  crosses ;  and,  with  all  due  respect  to 
those  who  hold  that,  "base  blood  runs  out  rapidly,  by  arith- 
metical calculation,  etc.,"  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  saying  we  have 


250  A   New  huiusfry. 

many  cross-bred  bucks  in  the  United  States  today  that  are  super- 
ior to  many  of  the  so-called  "pure-breds,"  not  alone  in  the 
power  of  procreation,  but  in  excellence  of  fleece  as  well. 

If,  as  has  been  clearly  proven  by  the  experience  we  have  had 
in  breeding  this  animal,  the  coarse,  short  hair  on  a  common  goat 
ran  be  transposed  into  a  complete  covering-  of  mohair,  without 
the  slightest  existence  of  any  of  the  original  hair,  commonly 
called  ''kcnip,"  I  cannot  well  understand  how  it  is  possible  for  any 
of  the  original  base  blood  to  remain  in  the  animal. 

I  am  certainly  supported  in  this  opinion  by  the  illustrious 
naturalist,  M.  de  Ouatrefages,  quoted  by  Dr.  Hayes,  who  says : 

"When  the  power  of  transmissibility  is  equal  in  two  parents,  the 
produce  will  have  an  equal  mixture  of  the  qualities  of  both;  but,  where 
one  predominates  in  certain  qualities  ov.m-  the  other,  the  power  of  trans- 
missibility will  be  unequal. 

'The  inequality  of  the  power  of  transmissibility  appears  to  be  much 
greater  when  the  races  are  nearest  each  other,  for  sometimes  the  cross- 
ing between  such  races  gives  a  product  which  seems  to  belong  entirely 
to  one  of  the  two."     (Hayes,  p.  2'2.) 

If  any  evidence  of  "kcmp"  can  be  found  on  the  animal  it  is, 
in  my  judgment,  an  indication  of  impurity  and  such  a  sire  should 
be  rejected;  but,  as  before  stated,  if  he  is  covered  all  over  with 
nothing  but  mohair,  there  is  as  much  certainty  of  such  a  sire 
begetting  his  like  a's  there  would  be  if  he  could  trace  his  lineage 
to  the  original  sire  of  the  Angora  race. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  in  making  this  statement  I  set 
at  defiance  the  opinion  of  many  of  our  old  and  able  breeders  who 
take  a  different  view  of  it — as  for  instance,  Col.  J.  Wash.  Watts 
of  South  Carolina,  who  says : 

"I  would  not  breed  from  a  graded  male  at  all  if  I  wished  to  attain 
perfection."      (See   Hayes,   p.   OG.) 

And  Col.   Richard  Peters'   opinion  was : 

"It  is  a  fact  that,  no  breeder,  however  experienced  he  may  be  in 
raising  the  Angora,  can,  by  his  eye,  select  a  so-called  full-blood  from  a 
flock  of  thoroughbreds,  but  the  get  of  the  full-blood  buck  will,  invariably, 
enable  any  intelligent  shepherd  to  detect  the  fraud  upon  the  thorough- 
bred."    (See   Hayes,   p.   96.) 


2S.2| 


*  o  -  ° 


Breeding — Past  Experience — Result  of  Crossing  the  Angora.    253 

But,  I  would  remind  the  reader  that,  nearly  twenty  years 
have  elapsed  since  the  eminent  authorities  referred  to,  expressed 
these  opinions,  and  that  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  beheve  there 
has  been  great  changes  made  in  the  character  of  the  "full-blood'' 
during  this  long  period  of  time. 

Referring  to  Turkey,  Mr.  George  Gatherall,  of  Constanti- 
nople, says : 


PLATE  XV. 


•FULL-BLOOD"  YEARLING  ANGORA  BUCKS. 
Showing  different  kinds  of  ears. 


"It  has  been,  and  still  is,  the  custom  to  cross  the  black,  or  brown, 
or,  white,  straight-haired  goat  with  the  mohair  goat,  to  give  the  latter 
a  stronger  physique,  the  fifth  cross  being  considered  thoroughbred." 
(See  Schreiner,   p.   82.) 

And  M.  Boulier  says  the  same  thing: 

"Purity  is  regained  after  in-breeding  to  five  generations,  and  thus 
describes  the  effects  of  crossing,  and  the  gradual  elimination  of  the 
inferior   qualities   of   the   Kurd   goat    in   the    successive    generations: 


25Jlf  A  Nciv  Indusiry. 

"1.  The  cross  of  a  black  female  with  a  white  buck  will  present 
a  fleece  marbled  with  a  yellow  color  upon  an  impure  white  foundation. 
The  flanks,  the  shoulders,  and  the  head,  will  preserve  more  particularly 
the  marks  of  the  color  of  the  mother,  the  fineness  of  the  fleece  will  be 
sensibly  ameliorated. 

"2.  The  cross  of  this  first  product  with  a  white  buck  will  cause  all 
the  dark  tints  to  disappear;  the  fleece  will  become  white;  the  shoulders 
and  flanks  will  be  covered  with  wavy  ringlets;  but  the  whole  line  of  the 
back  and  the  forehead  will  remain  furnished  with  coarse,  straight  hairs. 

"3.  On  coupling  this  new  cross,  always  with  a  buck  of  the  pure  race, 
we  shall  obtain  a  greater  fineness  in  the  long  ringlets  of  the  flanks 
and  shoulders;  the  dorso-lumbar  portion  of  the  vertebral  column  will 
no  longer  retain  coarse  hairs,  which  will  remain,  still,  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  neck  and  forehead. 

"4.  A  fourth  cross,  carried  on  with  the  same  precautions  as  before;, 
will  fix  a  stamp  of  purity  on  the  product;  the  coarse  hairs  will  have  dis- 
appeared on  the  forehead  and  neck. 

"5.  The  consecutive  crossings  will  render  more  stable  the  modifi- 
cations already  formed,  and  already,  after  the  fifth  generation,  the  indi- 
viduals will  be  able  to  reproduce  as  if  they  were  pure  blood."  (See 
Schreiner,  pp.  7G-77.) 

Referring  to  the  power  of  a  graded  Angora  to  transmit 
the  mohair  characteristic,  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt  expresses  his  opin- 
ion in  the  following  very  logical  manner : 

"That  the  law  of  astavism  applies  to  cross-breeds  is  not  doubted. 
But,  if  in  two  species  of  animals,  of  inter-breeding  relations,  you  could 
find  in  one  of  them  a  trait  or  feature,  which  the  other  did  not  possess, 
nor  ever  dj'rf,  then  the  cross-breed,  from  these  two  species,  could  only  inherit 
this  feature  from  the  parent  which  did  possess  it,  and  none  whatever 
from  the  parent  which  did  not.  Let  the  mohair  of  the  Angora  represent 
this  feature,  and  the  common  goat,  which  we  will  assume  to  be  the 
mother  in  this  case,  to  represent  the  deficient  side.  Then,  if  it  can  be 
shown  that  such  a  feature  can  be  found  in  animals  of  the  same  species, 
and  that  the  cross-breed  can  not  inherit  any  portion  of  it  from  the  dam's 
side,  and  that  mohair  will  not  cross  with  the  hair  of  the  dam,  don't 
this  solve  the  question  that  hair,  and  mohair,  are  dissimilar,  and  that, 
the  cross-breed  cannot  breed  back  toward  the  dam's  side,  through  his 
progeny,  any  portion  of  a  feature,  none  of  which  he  obtained  from  his 
dam,  though  he  will  do  so  in  any  other  feature  common  to  both,  as 
color,  form,  etc.?  And  so,  in  point  of  mohair,  he  can  impart  only  that 
which  he  obtained  pure,  and  unmixed,  from  his  sire.  It  has  been  fully 
shown  elsewhere,  that,  whilst  the  finest  bred  sheep  will  cross  its  fibres 
with  a  coarse,  hairy  sheep,  and  produce  a  medium  wool  in  the  offspring. 


Cross  Breeding — Grading  up  the  ''Mexican"  Goat.  25o 

that  mohair  will  not  cross  with  the  hair  of  the  common  goat,  or  the  long 
hair  of  the  Maltese  goat,  showing  the  two  fibres  to  be  unlike,  and  that 
mohair  is  implanted  in  the  offspring  to  the  eviction  of  the  hair,  and 
through  no  influence  of  the  dam;  and  that  the  mohair,  on  the  first 
cross,  is  short  and  fine,  proving  there  's  no  cross  of  the  mohair  with 
the  hair,  as  is  shown  in  the  fibres  of  the  sheep.  If  these  premises  and- 
conclusions  are  correct,  then  it  further  follows  that  a  cross-bred  or  grade 
buck  will  impart  an  amount  of  mohair  to  his  ofifspring  in  the  ratio  of 
his  grade  to  a  pure-breed;  that  is,  a  sixth  cross  or  sixty-three  sixty- 
fourth  grade  will  impart  to  his  ofifspring  all  the  mohair  a  pure-blood 
would,  less  the  one-sixty-fourth  part  he  lacked  of  being  pure,  and  that 
what  mohair  he  produces  in  his  ofifspring,  though  it  would  be  in  less 
quantity,  would  be  equally  fine,  as  from  a  pure-blood,  crossed  on  the 
same  dam.  Whilst  to  other  features  in  the  ofifspring  of  this  sixth 
cross,  they  would  be  imparted  in  proportion  as  he  received  them  from 
both  of  his  parents.  And,  continuing  on  this  line,  would  further  say 
that,  in  a  high-grade,  the  fraction  of  common  blood  is  so  very  small  in 
a  twelfth  cross,  for  instance,  being  only  one  in  4,096  parts,  that,  as 
elsewhere  stated,  they  became  the  equal,  or  in  fact,  pure-bloods,  to  all 
purposes  of  mohair."     (Southern  Farmer,  1889.) 

And  I  can  point  to  the  eminent  breeder,  Dr.  Robt.  W. 
Scott,  of  Kentucky,  who,  when  asked  the  question  "Will  high- 
grade  bucks  known  as  ''full-bloods,"  :.  e.,  those  of  the  fifth  cross 
and  upwards,  produce  this  wool  when  bred  to  native  females, 
similarly  as  with  pure-bred  or  thoroughbred  bucks  ?   said : 

"This  question  has  been  affirmatively  settled  by  the  experience  of 
every  breeder  of  Angora  goats  in  the  United  States,  so  far  as  I  have 
ever  known  or  heard;  yet,  while  similar,  yet  not  so  perfectly  as  the 
pure-bred  males,  the  fleeces  which  are  produced  by  the  full-blood  bucks 
being  more  subject  to  long  and  coarse  hairs  in  them  than  those  which 
are  pure-bred  bucks."     (Extract  from  Atlanta,   Ga.,   Constitution.) 

After  referring  to  a  few  breeders  who  were  opposed  to  the 
use  of  fidl-hlood  bucks,  one  of  whom  was  a  Texas  grower,  who 
stated  that  "he  would  not  buy  a  goat  if  he  knew  it  was  a  grade, 
and  knew  it  had  fifteen  crosses  in  it."  (Dr.  Hayes  very  char- 
itably omitted  the  gentleman's  name.)     Dr.  Hayes  says : 

"Let  me  caution  the  reader  against  pushing  the  .  rgument,  contained 
in  the  preceding  paragraphs,  too  far,  as  I  did  myself  in  my  original 
essay.  I  am  now  convinced  that  after  ?.  provision  of  a  certain  supply 
of  thoroughbred  bucks,  the  most  efifectual  and  profitable  means  of  advanc- 
ing the  Angora  culture  is  through  a  proper  use  of  graded  animals." 
(See    Hayes,    p.    97.) 


25(>  A  New  Industry. 

It  is  not  surprising-  that  the  early  breeders  should  have 
dreaded  the  "fidl-blood"  for,  I  am  well  convinced,  they  were 
totally  unfitted  to  be  used  as  sires  in  many  cases  ;  but  there  is  cer- 
tainly no  comparison  between  the  goats  of  1870-1880,  and  those  of 
1900.  A  greater  number  of  breeders  are  now  engaged  in  the 
industry  and  greater  care  has  been  exercised  in  improving  the 
character  of  the  animal,  why  then  should  we  not  have  approached 
closer  to  purity? 

It  is,  perhaps,  proper  that  I  should  make  myself  more  fully 
understood  with  reference  to  the  use  of  bucks  that  show  "kemp." 
As  has  been  shown  by  the  testimony  of  several  authorities,  this 
feature  is  gradually  removed  by  proper  breeding  with  males 
that  do  not  possess  any  kemp  and  it  ought  to  be  entirely  eliminated 
by  the  fifth  crossing — which,  however,  applies  to  "kcnip"  that 
usually  shows  on  the  neck,  or  backbone,  the  shoulders  and 
flanks.  But  there  is  another  kind  of  hair  which  is  called  "kemp" 
by  many,  and  is  referred  to  by  Dr.  Scott  in  the  description  that 
he  gives  of  a  pure-bred  Angora,  viz: 

"Like  some  furred  animals  these  goats  wear  two  distinct  and  dif- 
ferent suits  of  clothing,  and  mainly  at  dififerent  seasons.  One  is  short, 
stiff,  coarse,  and  of  no  commercial  value;  the  other  is  long,  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  blood,  and  is  lustrous,  soft,  silky  and  clastic."  (Sec- 
Hayes,  p.  64.) 

It  does  not  necessarilly  follow  that  such  goats  as  these  are 
impure,  and  while  I  doubt  very  much  if  there  are  any  such 
animals  in  the  United  States  at  the  present  time  (Dr.  Scott  wrote 
the  above  description  about  1881  or  1882),  if  any  should  exist 
and  a  breeder  of  reputation  can  give  assurance  that  the  animal 
had  been  bred  true  to  his  type  for  a  long  time,  the  mere  presence 
of  this  undercoating  of  coarse  hair  is  in  no  way  detrimental  to 
the  animal  as  the  hair  is  so  short  as  not  to  mix  with  the  mohair 
when  the  animal  is  shorn. 

And  while  I  agree  perfectly  with  all  Col.  Ilaupt  has  said, 
with  reference  to  the  power  of  a  graded  goat  to  impress  his 
progeny  with  as  much  of  the  mohair  qtialities  as  he  possesses, 
my  conviction  is  that  any  animal  should  be  rejected  as  a  sire 
that  shows  coarse,  ""kempy"  hair  on  the  neck  or  mane,  the  back- 


O  ?: 


<  5 

Q 
O 


.1 

o  -^ 


Cross  Breeding — Cradiiig  up  fJic  "Mexican"  Goat.  259 

bone  or  flanks.  There  are  plenty  of  goats  that  can  be  had  that 
are  totally  free  from  these  objections,  and  it  is  always  safer  to 
select  animals  that  do  not  show  them. 

The  flceec  of  a  breeding  sire  should  be  well  distributed 
over  the  whole  of  the  body,  on  the  chest,  and  belly. 

The  greater  the  weight,  of  course,  the  more  rapidly  will  the 
mohair  seed  be  implanted  in  the  hide  of  the  common  goat.  The 
character  of  the  fleece  whether  wavy  or  in  ringlets,  creamy  or 
white,  is  altogether  a  matter  of  fancy.  Weight  of  fleece,  com- 
bined with  fineness,  lustre,  and  length  of  fiber,  are  the  chief 
essentials.  The  most  salable  length  is  six  inches  and  above, 
which  is  known  in  the  trade  as  "combing  mohair." 

The  character  of  horns  is  not  material ;  or,  the  tuft  on  the 
forehead.  The  latter  is  very  pretty,  and  is  an  undoubted  evi- 
dence of  great  purity  of  the  mohair  blood,  yet  we  have  many 
cHjually  fine  animals  that  do  not  show  such  a  growth. 

The  size  of  carcass  I  think  is  a  feature  nearly  as  important 
as  fleece,  and  should  not  be  overlooked.  A  big  frame  is  certainly 
more  capable  of  producing  a  larger  amount  of  mohair  than  a 
small  one;  and  it  should,  therefore,  be  the  aim  to  breed  up  the 
carcass  at  the  same  time  as  the  fleece. 

A  breeder  should  never  loose  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  may 
sooner  or  later  become  necessary  to  curtail  the  production  of 
mohair,  and  if  he  has  large  bodied  animals  he  can  realize  more 
for  the  meat  and  pelt  than  if  they  were  small. 

In-breeding  is  admitted  to  be  a  wrong  principle  except 
in  cases  where  one  is  endeavoring  to  fix  a  certain  type ;  but  it 
does  not  appear  to  operate  very  injuriously  with  goats,  and  has 
been  recommended  by  some  breeders — at  least  to  a  hmited 
extent.  I  think  all  authorities  agree  it  is  best  to  avoid  it  where 
"it  is  possible ;  and,  particularly,  if  you  are  aiming  for  a  large, 
strong  constitution. 

Style  of  car  is  also  a  matter  of  taste.  Those  that  hang 
down,  called  lop-ears,  or  senii-lop-ears,  are  generally  preferred, 
though  I  would  not  condemn  an  animal  that  had  the  smaller 
fo.v-ears,  provided  he  had  other  good  qualities  ;  and,  his  progeny 
are  just  as  Hkely  to  have  the  lop-ear  as  not,  provided  the  dam 
has  such  ears. 


260  A  Nczu  Industry. 

The  shearing  capacity  of  the  various  grades  depends 
entirely  upon  the  character  of  the  sire  and  the  class  of  does 
used.  Always  bear  in  mind  that  the  glossy,  short-haired  type 
of  doe  with  the  heaviest  shearing  sire  obtainable,  will  yield  the 
best  results. 

The  cost  of  a  buck  ought  not  to  influence  a  breeder  when 
he  finds  what  he  wants.  Breeders  in  South  Africa  have  paid 
as  high  as  £450,  sterling,  or  $2,250.00  of  our  money,  for  a  single 
animal ;  and,  when  it  is  considered  that  the  male  is  the  creator 
of  the  flock,  it  stands  to  reason  that  his  cost  is  very  soon  re- 
turned, provided  he  has  the  proper  qualifications  to  breed  up 
the  flock  quickly. 

It  is  a  very  common  error  of  new  beginners  to  buy  cheap 
bucks,  sometimes  as  low  as  $10.00,  which  they  think  ought  to 
be  enough,  but  the  breeders  of  fine  stock  cannot  afiford  to  worry 
with  this  class  of  animal  unless  they  are  paid  properly  for  the 
trouble  involved.  Very  good  bucks  ought  to  be  had  for  $25.00 
each,  shearing  say  six  pounds,  yet  I  consider  an  animal  with 
extraordinary  good  points,  shearing  ten  pounds  to  twelve 
pounds,  is  cheaper  at  $100.00  than  an  ordinary  one  would  be 
at  $25.00. 

Wattles  will  sometimes  appear  on  graded  Angoras,  though 
T  have  never  observed  them  on  a  very  highly  graded  one.  They 
are  a  little  sack,  like  a  teat,  that  hangs  under  the  chin,  and  may 
be  removed  without  any  danger  or  injury  to  the  animal.  It  is 
not  uncommon  for  the  shearers  to  clip  them  ofif  when  shearing 
the  fleece. 

Beard  is  common  in  both  the  Ixick  and  doe,  but  is  greatest 
in  the  former.  There  are  some  instances  where  the  goat 
has  had  no  beard  at  all.  I  have  never  observed  such  an  ani- 
mal myself,  though  I  have  noticed  that  the  higher  grades  are 
inclined  to  grow  a  smaller  amount  of  beard  in  both  sexes  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  it  could  be  easily  bred  ofT  altogether  if  it 
was  deemed  advisable. 


■ss 


CHAPTER   XX. 

PROPER   TERMS   FOR   ANGORA   GOATS. 

It  was  very  common  at  one  time,  and  is,  to  some  extent  in 
the  present  day,  to  apply  the  term  "billy,"  and  "nanny,"  to  dis- 
tinguish the  male  goat  from  the  female,  but,  in  later  years, 
some  writers  use  the  terms  ram  and  ewe;  others  hick  and 
czve,  while  a  few  will  refer  to  them  as  buck  and  doe.  The  term  kid 
seems  to  have  been  applied  to  the  young  from  the  very  earliest 
period  of  which  we  have  any  record. 

Even  in  the  days  of  the  Patriarchs,  Rebekah  said  unto 
Jacob : 

*"Go  now,  to  the  flock,  and  fetch  me  from  thence,  two  good  kids, 
of  the  goats,  and  I  will  make  them  savory  meat  for  thy  father,  such  as 
he  lik^s."     *  *  *    See  Genesis  xxvii,  9. 

The  term  "Billy,"  or  "Nanny,"  is  no  where  to  be  found  in 
the  Bible,  although  frequent  reference  is  made  to  this  class  of 
stock,  which  appears  to  have  been  very  highly  prized  by  the 
ancients,  and  were  considered  quite  the  equal  of  the  ox  and  the 
sheep,  as  food.  (See  Duet,  xiv.,  4).  Indeed,  they  must  have 
heew  regarded  with  greater  favor  ;  for,  we  find,  in  Leviticus  iii, 
12,  that  Moses  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  *  *  *  "and  if  his 
offering  be  a  goat  then  he  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord.  *  *  '"'' 
Again,  in  Numbers  xv,  27,  He  says  : 

"*  *  *  /^^f^  if  ^j^y  gQy]  gin  thfougli  ignofancc,  then  he  shall  bring 
a  she  goat,   of  the  first  year,   for  a   sin  cfifering.     *     *     *" 

It  will  be  observed  that  Moses  does  not  refer  to  the  female 
goat  as  a  "Nanny"  goat;  and  in  another  passage  of  scripture 
we  find  in  the  book  of  Ezra  vi.,  17  verse : 


26Jf  A   New  Industry. 

"*  '-^  ••=  And  offered  at  the  dedication  of  this  house  of  God,  an 
hundred  bullocks,  two  hundred  rams,  four  hundred  lambs;  and,  for  a  sin 
ofifering  for  all  Israel,  twelve  he  goats,  according  to  the  number  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel.     *     *     *" 

Solomon  refers  to  the  boldness  and  strength  of  the  goat,  in 
Proverbs  xxx.  29  to  31,  as  follows: 

"*  *  *  There  be  three  things  which  go  well,  yea,  four  are  comely 
in  going:  A  lion,  which  is  strongest  among  beasts,  and  turneth  noc 
away  from  any;  a  grey  hound ;  an  he  goat,  also;  and  a  king,  against 
whom  there  is  no  rising  up.     *     *     *" 

This  doubtless  gave  rise  to  the  opinion  that  the  goat  is  good 
on  the  defensive,  when  attacked  by  dogs  or  wild  animals. 

The    prophet,    Ezekial,    in    chapter    xxxiv,    17,    speaks    of 

"*     '"     *     rams,    and   he   goats." 

..And   in  chapter  xxxix,   18,   he   says: 

"*  *  *  Ye  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  *  *  *  ra)us.  of  Iambs,  of  goats. 
rind  of  bullocks.     *     *     *"' 

And  I  might  quote  a  number  of  other  references  to 
goats,  in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  but  I  would  fail 
to  find  any  mention  of  a  "nanny"  or  "billy"  goaf. 

From  the  quotations  I  have  made  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
term  "ranr  and  "lamb,"  as  now  applied  to  sheep,  are  of  very 
ancient  origin  ;  as  are  also  "  ox'  and  "bullock,"  which  are  still 
applied  to  cattle.  lUit  there  seems  to  have  been  no  other 
distinguishing  terms  for  goats  thsiu" lic-goat ,"" she-goat" and^kid ." 
These  are  quite  forcible  enough,  it  is  true,  and  are  easily  un- 
derstood; but,  the  more  modern  languages  seem  to  call  for  sepa- 
rate, and  distinct,  terms  in  speaking  of  the  sex  in  our  different 
kinds  of  live-stock,  as  for  instance  :  Bull,  cow  and  calf  for  cattle ; 
ram,  ewe  and  lamb  for  sheep ;  boar,  sow  and  pig  for  hogs,  etc. ; 
and,  with  all  due  respect  to  our  ancient  brethren  I  think  these  are 
an  improvement  on  the  custom  they  seem  to  have  adopted  for 
goats,  for  it  would  certainly  sound  very  peculiar  if  we  were  to 
speak  of  he-cattle,  and  she-cattle ;  he-sheep,  and  she-sheep ;  he- 
hog,  and  she-hog,  which,  however,  would  be  quite  as  proper  as 
"he-goat,"'  and  "she  goat." 


Proper  Terms  for  Angora  Coats.  265 

Dr.  Hayes,  in  his  work  on  the  Angora  goat,  in  1882,  con- 
sidered the  term  ""buck"  and  ""ezve''  most  appropriate. 

Mr.  Schreiner,  in  his  more  recent  work,  (1898)  does  not 
seem  to  have  made  any  special  reference  to  this  question  and  in- 
variably uses  the  terms  ""rajii,"  and  "c7uc;"  and,  sometimes,  "An- 
gora ram,"  or  ""Angora  czvc,"  as  does  also  Mr.  Binns,  an  eminent 
Turkish  authority,  frequently  quoted  from  by  Mr.  Schriener. 
The  distinguished  French  traveler,  M.  Bonlier,  quoted  both  by 
Dr.  Hayes  and  Mr.  Schreiner,  speaks  of  them  as  "bucks"  and 
""female  goats."  Col.  Scott  -oi  Kentucky,  and  Col.  Peters  of 
Georgia,  appear  to  have  adopted  the  terms  "buck"  and  "ewe;" 
and,  with  the  ordinary  writer,  it  is  common  to  use  any  of  the 
terms  I  have  mentioned.  This  is  certainly  confusing,  as  will  be 
seen  by  reading  over  a  passage  in  Mr.  Schreiner's  work,  refer- 
ring to  the  pleuro-pneumonia  epidemic  in  Cape  Colony.  He  re- 
fers to  : 

"Several  of  Mr.  Evans'  rams  which  had  so  far  been  heaUhy,  con- 
tracted the  disease  and  died." 

It  is  left  for  the  reader  to  decide  whether  this  is  intended  to 
mean  ram-shccp  or  ram-goats,  as  I  believe  Mr.  Evans  was  a  breed- 
er of  both.  And  it  is  not  unlikely  tliat,  the  absence  of  a  distinct 
term  for  goats  may  sooner  or  later  give  rise  to  much  trouble  in 
law  suits,  and  it  would  therefore  be  well  to  decide  upon  a 
proper  term  as  early  as  possible. 

My  personal  opinion  is  that,  "buck,"  "doe,"  and  "kid" 
would  be  the  most  appropriate  terms  which  I  think  are  not  ap- 
plied to  any  other  class  of  domestic  stock,  except  the  rabbit, 
and  deer. 

I  prefer  these  terms,  too,  because  they  are  applied  to  deer. 
There  is  certainly  a  greater  similarity  in  the  meat  of  the  An- 
gora goat  to  venison,  than  to  the  common  "billy"  and  "nanny- 
goat;"  which,  Avhen  generally  known  by  all  lovers  of  good  eat- 
ing, will  have  a  tendency  to  remove  much  of  the  prejudice  that 
many  people  have  heretofore  entertained  for  the  flesh  of  this 
valuable  animal. 

Wether,  for  the  castrated  male,  will  answer  every  pur- 
pose, to  distinguish  animals  intended  for  slaughter. 


S66  A  New  Industry. 

Venison  would  seem  to  be  the  more  proper  term  to  apply 
to  the  meat  of  the  Angora,  as  it  approaches  the  flavor  of  deer 
meat  (when  naturally  fed)  more  closely  than  any  other ;  and, 
it  would  seem,  we  have  Biblical  authority  for  so  caUing  it,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  quotation : 

"And  Rebekah  spake  unto  Jacob,  her  son,  saying:  Behold,  I  heard 
thy  father  speak  unto  Esau,  thy  brother,  saying:  Bring  me  venison,  and 
make  me  savoury  meat,  that  I  may  eat  and  bless  thee  before  the  Lord,  be- 
fore my  death.  Now,  therefore,  my  son,  obey  my  voice,  according  to  that 
which  I  command.  Go  now  to  the  flock-and  fetch  me  from  thence  two  good 
kids  of  the  goats  and  I  will  make  them  savoury  meat  for  thy  father,  such 
as  he  loveth."     (Genesis,  xxvii;  G-9.) 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

PROFIT    IN    RAISING    THE    ANGORA    GOAT. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  raising  of  goats  is  not  at- 
tended with  more  or  less  work,  particularly  during  the  "kidding" 
period.  It  is  not  necessary,  of  course,  for  the  owner  to  do  the 
work  himself,  unless  he  prefers  it ;  for  he  can  always  employ 
competent  labor,  at  a  reasonably  low  cost,  but,  he  should  be  fa- 
miliar with  all  the  details  of  the  business,  and  above  all  should 
have  a  fancy  for  this  class  of  stock.  There  is  perhaps  less  anx- 
iety about  goats  than  any  other  live  stock,  for  they  never  have 
any  disease  or  sickness  of  a  severe  nature ;  and,  barring  an  oc- 
casional loss  of  a  "bunch,"  by  the  herder,  which  may  necessitate 
some  riding  to  hunt  and  recover  there  is  very  little  annoyance 
connected  with  the  business. 

The  profit,  connected  with  it,  of  course,  greatly  depends 
upon  the  skill  and  economy  of  the  proprietor,  or  superintendent, 
in  charge.  If  he  is  careful  in  breeding  and  economical  in  the  gen- 
eral management  of  affairs,  the  profits  will  naturally  be  much 
greater  than  with  one  who  does  not  possess  such  characteris- 
tics. In  the  estimate  I  shall  make  I  will  endeavor  to  allow  a 
sufficient  margin  for  inexperience ;  but,  for  skill  in  breeding, 
and  thus  increasing  the  yield  of  mohair,  I  can  make  no  estimate, 
as  this  will  depend  entirely  upon  the  man  who  undertakes  it. 
Everyone  knows  that  the  profits  in  live  stock  can  be  largely  in- 
rceased  by  an  improvement  in  the  grade  of  the  animal  being- 
bred,  but,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  a  fair,  approximate  idea 
of  the  great  profit  that  is  to  be  made  in  breeding  this  mohair 
goat  I  shall  confine  myself  to  a  uniform  grov/th  of  three  pounds 
of  fleece  to  the  animal,  which  is  not  an  uncommon  vield  at  the 


2r,S  A   Ncxv  Industry. 

present  time ;  and,  I  shall  take  eighty  per  cent,  as  the  amount  of 
increase,  which  allows  fully  twenty  per  cent,  to  cover  losses  by 
death,  accidents,  straying  and  careless  kidding  (with  a  sufficient 
number  of  bucks,  there  is  no  doubt  about  the  increase  being  100 
per  cent,  of  kids,  counting  twins).  A  very  learge  amount  of  the 
loss  occurs  during  the  kidding  season,  much  of  which,  I  think, 
can  be  avoided  if  proper  appliances  are  used  to  protect  the 
young  kids  from  the  severe  weather  that  frequently  occurs  at 
tliat  season.  But,  I  shall  refer  to  this  more  in  detail  under  the 
chapter  dealing  with  "The  Care  and  Management  of  Goats." 

The  following  tables  are  arranged  for  a  series  of  ten  years, 
as  it  is  hardly  possible  to  make  a  fair  exhibit  in  a  shorter  period, 
as,  for  instance  with  the  "Mexican  does,"  there  is  no  revenue 
whatever  from  these  until  the  third  or  fourth  year ;  yet,  in  the 
following  six  or  seven  years,  the  profits  are  very  gratifying,  and 
return  a  good  average  revenue,  per  annum,  for  the  whole  term : 


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Profit  in  Raisi)ig  the  Angora  Goat.  271 

Reviewing  the  foregoing  tables,  it  will  be  observed  that  the 
result  is  over  one  hundred  per  cent,  in  favor  of  the  "seven- 
eighths  Angora  doe,"  as  a  foundation  for  a  flock ;  and,  when  it  is 
possible  to  start  with  this  grade,  or  even  a  lower  grade,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  do  so.  The  result  from  the  Mexican  doe  is  very  sat- 
isfactory, in  the  end,  but  a  breeder  must  be  prepared  to  pay  run- 
ning expenses  during  the  first  three  or  four  years  of  unpro- 
ductiveness in  mohair,  which  should  be  taken  into  consideration 
by  those  who  begin  with  this  kind  of  stock. 

I  am  aware  that,  paper  estimates,  for  raising  live  stock,  as 
a  rule,  are  not  altogether  reliable.  I  can  recall  many  instances 
of  great  fortunes  being  made,  raising  sheep,  in  this  wav  that 
turned  out  just  the  opposite  from  the  calculations  made  in  ad- 
vance, owing  to  losses  which  had  not  been  anticipated,  some- 
times resulting  in  the  annihilation  of  the  entire  flock, 
through  some  contagious  disease,  or  severe  drouth,  producing 
a  scarcity  of  food.  The  goat,  however,  is  not  liable  to  such 
contingencies,  as  no  disease  has  ever  been  known  to  seriously 
afifect  the  animal  in  this  country,  and  they  are  proof  against  dry 
weather  and  scarcity  of  grass,  provided  there  is  any  brush,  or  liv- 
ing trees,  to  be  had.  A  sheep  or  cow,  will  soon  succumb  and 
perish,  if  there  should  be  a  failure  in  the  grass  crop ;  but,  a  goat 
will  substitute  anything  he  can  find  and  will  survive. 

I  have  endeavored  to  be  conservative  in  my  calculation  of 
increase,  and  have  not  estimated  anything  from  does  under  two 
years  of  age,  although  many  of  them  will  breed  when  yearlings. 
I  have  taken  eighty  per  cent.-  as  a  basis  of  increase  notwithstand- 
ing there  will  be  at  least  one  hundred  per  cent,  of  kids  dropped 
counting  the  twins,  provided  a  sufficient  number  of  bucks  are 
used,  (one  to  fifty  is  enough  to  insure  this)  and  there  is  no  good 
reason  why  twenty  per  cent,  should  not  be  more  than  sufficient 
to  cover  all  natural  losses  from  death,  accidents,  and  from  care- 
lessness in  kidding. 

In  the  matter  of  shearing,  I  have  used  three  pound  per  fleece 
in  the  table  represented  by  the  seven-eighth  Angora,  as  a  basis 
of  yield,  although  it  is  not  uncommon  for  flocks  of  this  character 
to  average  four  pounds,  and  even  more.  In  the  Mex- 
ican goat  I  have  calculated  on  nothing  until  the  three-fourths 
grade  is  reached  and  then  I  have  figured  on  two  pounds  per 


272  A  Nezv  Industry. 

fleece,  and  three  pounds  for  the  grades  above.  As  to  the  mar- 
ket value  of  mohair,  I  have  been  governed  by  the  lowest  prices 
that  have  ruled  during  the  past  fifty  years,  viz :  25  cents  to  30 
cents  per  pound,  at  which  price  the  manufacturer  can  afiford  to 
pile  up  standard  goods,  and  there  is  very  little  doubt  but  that  the 
average  value  will  range  above  my  estimate  rather  than  belozv  it^ 
during  the  ten  years  I  have  named.  (See  list  of  quotations 
since  185G  on  page  144.) 

In  value  of  mutton,  I  have  been  governed  in  the  same  conser- 
vative manner  and  have  selected  the  reasonably  low  prices  pf 
$2.00  and  $2.50  per  head  as  my  basis  for  sales,  which  is  equiva- 
lent to  about  2^  cents  and  3  cents  per  pound  live  weight,  a 
much  lower  average  than  has  been  paid  in  our  markets  for  many 
years,  and  is  not  at  all  likely  to  ever  occur. 

For  bucks,  I  have  estimated  one  for  every  fifty  does,  and  have 
figured  them  to  cost  $50.00  each,  which  ought  to  purchase  very 
fine  animals. 

For  running  expenses,  I  have  taken  thirty-three  and  one- 
third  cents  per  head  as  a  basis ;  which,  with  proper  care,  should 
be  quite  ample.     The  items  for  such  expense  are  as  follows  : 

Shepherd's  outfit  consisting  of : 

One  small  A  tent $5.00 

One  skillet  (small) 50 

One  coffee  mill 50 

One  bread  pan 25 

One  frying  pan 25 

One    empty    water    barrel 1 .  00 

Two  tin  spoons,  one  tin  cup,  one  tin  plate,  one  large  tin 

spoon,  one  knife  and  one  fork 25 

Shepherd's  rations  per  month :  $7.75 

Thirty  pounds  flour $  .75 

Twelve  pounds  bacon  (fat) 1.00 

Four  pounds  coffee 75 

Four  pounds  rice 30 

Four  pounds  sugar 25 

Eight,  pounds  red  beans 25 

One  pound  baking  powder 15 

$3.45  per  mo. 


Profit  in  Raising  the  Angora  Goat.  ^/J 

Or  for  one  year $  41.40 

Shepherd's  wages  at  $12  per  month 144.00 

Salt  per  month,  200  pounds  at  $2.00  per  month 24.00 

Pasturage  per  head,  1^^  cents,  $22.50  per  month 270.00 

Extra  help  in  kidding,  five  hands  one  month,  say 75.85 

$555.25 

In  the  calculations  made  I  allowed  thirty-three  and  one-third 
cents  per  head  on  1500  goats  or  $500.00. 

It  is  not  unlikely  that  in  the  matter  of  zvagcs  the  expense 
may  be  greater  in  some  of  the  northern  Territories  where  labor 
is  not  very  abundant.  I  have  been  guided  largely  by  the  ruling 
rates  of  Mexican  labor  in  Texas,  which  ranges  from  $8.00  to 
$12.00  for  very  competent  shepherds. 

It  is  necessary  to  haul  water  to  the  shepherd  and  change  his 
camp  periodically,  which  usually  requires  the  services  of  one 
extra  man,  for  every  four  shepherds.  This  would  add  say  one- 
fourth  of  the  cost  of  a  man,  and  his  rations,  to  each  flock  of 
goats  ;  but,  against  this,  by  proper  arrangement  of  the  flocks, 
a  larger  number  than  1500  dry  goats  (or  wethers  and  weanlings) 
can  very  easily  be  run  by  one  shepherd  which  will  about  offset 
the  expense 

It  is  always  best  to  allow  something  for  contingent  ex- 
penses, and  it  would  be  as  well,  perhaps,  to  make  an  allowance 
of  forty  cents  per  head,  in  place  of  thirty-three  and  one-third 
cents,  for  a  series  of  years,  which  ought  to  be  quite  sufficient  to 
cover  everything. 

There  will  be  room  for  many  million  goats  in  our  Western 
Territories,  where  the  land  rent  will  amount  to  very  little ;  the 
only  drawback  being  water,  which,  of  course,  would  have  to  be 
provided  by  digging  wells  and  putting  up  wind  mills,  unless  a 
spring  or  river  front  was  secured. 

The  question  will  naturally  arise  in  the  minds  of  many : 
"Why  is  it  that  all  goat  raisers  are  not  independently  wealthy?" 
The  answer  to  this  is  very  simple  and  has  been  clearly  stated  in 
chapter  IX.  "Why  the  industry  has  made  such  slow  progress 
in  the  United  States."  A  very  few  of  our  present  raisers  of 
Angora  goats  have  any  idea  of  the  changed  condition  of  the  in- 


214  ''^  Nczi'  Industry. 

dustry.  They  have  no  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  the  demand  for 
Angora  venison  is  practically  without  hmit,  or  they  would  be 
doubling  their  holdings  as  rapidly  as  possible.  They  have  long 
experienced  a  difficulty  in  selling  any  large  number  of  goats, 
and  have  been  unwilling  to  accumulate  more  than  enough  for 
local  demand,  or,  perhaps,  their  own  immediate  ranch  require- 
ments for  fresh  meat. 

Young  men  are  often  carried  away  by  the  glare  and  glitter 
of  figures,  and  are  sometimes  thereby  persuaded  to  engage  in  a 
calling  for  which  they  are  in  no  way  fitted,  either  in  disposition 
or  ability,  which  will  probably  explain  the  failure  of  many  a 
worthy  enterprise.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  ranching 
in  the  far  West  is  not  like  living  in  a  city,  surrounded  with  all 
the  comforts  of  refined  society,  and  unless  a  young  man  is  pre- 
pared to  deny  himself  the  comforts  he  has  been  accustomed  to 
enjoy,  my  advice  is,  do  not  engage  in  ranching.  There  are  hard- 
ships to  endure,  and  while  rewards  are  great  in  raising  the  An- 
gora goat  they  are  reserved  for  those  alone  who  are  willing  to 
"knuckle  down"  to  business,  and  forget  all  about  home,  for  a  few 
years  at  least.  To  meet  with  success  one  should  live  in  a 
tent  and  subsist  on  coarse  fare,  such  as  bacon  and  beans  for 
breakfast ;  bacon  and  beans  for  dinner ;  and  bacon  and  beans  for 
supper ;  with  a  few  heavy  biscuit  for  a  side  dish ;  and,  while  this 
may,  sometimes,  be  improved  on,  by  the  occasional  killing  of  a 
wild  deer  or  turkey,  a  ranchman  must  not  count  upon  anything 
but  the  hardest  kind  of  a  living  in  every  particular.  It  is  always 
best  for  two  new-beginners  to  join  forces  in  such  an  occupation, 
as  this  will  afford  an  opportunity  for  one  to  take  a  short  lay-off, 
from  time  to  time,  and  gradually  get  accustomed  to  the  changed 
manner  of  living.  But,  success  will  never  attend  the  efforts  of 
a  young  man  who  wants  to  go  to  the  tozvn  dance,  or  have  an  oc- 
casional spree,  and  I  advise  such  to  stay  in  the  city.  When  I 
think  of  the  thousands  of  strong,  robust  young  men,  who  are 
wasting  their  energies,  and  gradually  undermining  their  fine  con- 
stitution by  following  the  sedentary  life  of  a  clerk,  I  am  aston- 
ished that  more  of  them  do  not  engage  in  some  kind  of  live  stock 
raising.  One  reason  may  be  that  it  requires  more  capital  than 
they  can  control  to  start  with,  but  goat  raising  is  comparatively 


Profit  in  Raising  the  Angora  Goat.  275 

free  from  this  difficulty ;  and,  if  a  sufficient  amount  of  capital 
can  be  accumulated  to  start  with  even  five  hundred  common 
Mexican  does,  two  pure-bred  Angora  bucks,  and  they  would  be 
willing  to  do  their  own  herding  for  a  few  years,  there  is  no  reason 
why  two  determined  young  men  can  net  lay  the  foundation  for  an 
independent  fortune  in  a  very  short  time,  besides  adding  many 
years  to  their  life  by  the  more  healthful  occupation  of  an  outdoor 
life,  over  that  of  a  crowded  city.  A  capital  of  two  thousand  dol- 
lars would  be  sufficient  to  pay  for  five  hundred  does,  and  two 
bucks,  and  provide  a  reserve  fund  of  nine  hundred  dollars  for 
expenses,  during  the  first  three  years  of  grading  up,  when  the 
yield  of  mohair  and  sale  of  wethers  will  take  good  care  of  the 
ranch  and  themselves.  With  a  beginning  of  this  kind  a  young 
man  will  be  much  more  certain  to  die  rich  than  nine  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  in  a  thousand,  who  are  now  enjoying  what  is 
termed  a  well-salaried  clerkship. 

In  the  estimates  I  have  made  I  allowed  one  buck  for  each 
fifty  does,  which  is  the  usual  number  recjuired,  when  they  are 
range  bred,  or  turned  loose  with  the  flock  ;  but,  a  single  buck 
is  capable  of  doing  more  good  service  when  he  is  kept  up,  and 
liand  bred,  than  five  will  do  on  open  range;  and,. when  a  young 
man  is  willing  to  take  the  necessary  trouble  to  do  this  a  great 
saving  can  be  effected,  but  I  shall  refer  to  this  more  particularly 
also  under  the  chapter  on  "Care  and  Management  of  Goats." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

INCIDENTAL,    OK    BY-PRODUCTS    OF    THE   ANGORA    GOAT. 

In  addition  to  meat,  and  mohair,  the  Angora  possesses  other 
valuable  by-products  as  well,  which  can  be  converted  into  money 
with  very  little   skill. 

The  meat  of  all  live  stock  that  are  sold  for  slaughter,  is  gen- 
erally considered  to  be  the  most  valuable  part  of  the  animal ; 
but,  it  is  not  so  with  the  Angora.  The  skin,  or  pelt,  of  this  class 
of  stock,  has  the  greater  value,  if  properly  handled,  but,  unfortu- 
nately, the  seller  can  not  always  control  it.  If  the  animal  is  sold 
in  one  of  our  large  stock  yards,  the  current  price  for  meat  will 
be  the  ruling  factor  in  determining  its  value,  and  the  skin  is  al- 
ways included  in  the  sale.  If  it  is  sold  to  a  local  butcher,  an  ar- 
rangement can  be  made,  by  a  very  slight  reduction  in  the  price  cf 
meat,  through  which  the  seller  can  retain  the  skin,  and  after  be- 
ing dressed  it  is  made  salable  for  a  floor  rug  or  can  be  made  into 
a  variety  of  merchantable  shapes,  with  very  little  trouble  or  ex- 
pense. Even  the  little  kid-skin  can  be  made  into  beautiful  as  we'l 
as  useful  ornaments,  for  dress  or  house  furnishing  purposes.  Ta  k 
about  bed  quilts !  I  have  seen  quilts  made  from  little  kid-skiris 
that  would  excel  any  (piilt  ever  put  together  out  of  silk,  or  cot- 
ton fabrics,  as  far  as  beauty  is  concerned. 

Upon  our  large  ranches  it  is  not  uncommon  to  meet  with 
considerable  loss  in  kids,  during  a  kidding  season,  particularly  if 
vegetation  is  backward,  when  many  of  the  does  will  not  furnish 
enough  milk  to  raise  their  offspring,  and  they  must  either  be 
killed  or  perish  for  want  of  nourishment,  and  if  a  doe  has  twins, 
and  is  not  able  to  raise  the  two,  one  is  usually  put  to  death.  Such 
skins,  however,  are  seldom  saved,  because  all  hands  are  very  busy 
at  this  time,  but  it  would  well  justify  the  expense  of  hiring  one 
extra  hand  to  skin  them,  if  there  should  be  many  of  them. 


Incidental,  or  By-Products  of  the  Angora  Goat.  2y^ 

The  quilt  I  have  referred  to  was  made  entirely  at  home,  and 
was  arranged  like  patch-work,  some  square,  others  diamond- 
shaped,  with  a  few  black  and  yellow  skins  intermixed  with  pearly 
white,  which  gave  it  a  very  rich  appearance. 

The  process  for  tanning,  or  dressing,  the  goat  skin  is  very 
simple  and  when  they  are  put  in  this  condition,  can  be  kept  in- 
definitely. (See  "Formula  for  Dressing  Angora  Skins"  in  ap- 
pendix.) 

Natural  shaped  skins  are  preferred  by  a  great  many  house- 
keepers for  rugs,  but  only  the  higher  grades  can  be  used  in  this 
form.  The  lower  grades  often  show  short,  or  coarse,  hair, 
along  the  line  of  the  back-bone,  which  presents  an  uneven  ap- 
pearance, when  the  rug  is  placed  on  the  floor.  The  skin  should 
be  covered  evenly  to  make  an  attractive  rug. 

The  lower  grades  can  be  better  made  into  shapes  for  the 
hearth,  or  for  buggy  robes,  which  is  done  by  cutting  the  skins 
into  uniform  pieces,  and  placing  them  together,  so  that  the  hair 
will  over-lap,  as  it  does  on  the  animal. 

Saddle  pockets  are  often  covered  with  a  piece  of  Angora  skin 
to  shed  the  rain,  and  are  very  popular  with  cow-boys.  Indeed, 
a  cow-boy  thinks  his  saddle  is  not  fully  "rigged"  unless  it  has 
this  appendage.  The  hair,  in  this  case,  is  usually  dyed  black, 
or  brown,  to  avoid  showing  dirt,  but  many  use  them  in  their 
natural  color. 

Muffs  for  children  are  quickly  made,  as  well  as  boas  for  the 
neck,  or  a  cape  for  the  shoulders. 

Lace  trimming  is  another  product  of  the  skin  which  is  very 
commonly  used  for  trimming  children's  cloaks.  This  should  be 
made  from  a  yearling  goat  skin,  as  these  are  much  thinner  than 
the  older  ones,  and  more  easy  to  sew.  The  trimming  is  made 
in  narrow  strips  from  one-quarter  up  to  one  inch  in  width,  and 
is  sold  by  the  yard. 

Lamp  mats,  for  the  table,  can  be  made  out  of  the  smaller 
pieces,  so  that  very  little  of  the  skin  need  be  wasted. 

The  fieece  can  be  worked  into  many  useful  articles  on  the 
farm  or  ranche,  and,  when  a  flock  is  being  graded  up  it  will  pay 
best  to  make  use  of  a  small  clip  in  this  way  rather  than  ship  it  to 
market,  as  there  are  always  more  or  less  kempy  hairs  scattered 


28o  A  New  Industry. 

through  low  grades,  which  is  objectionable  to  manufacturers 
of  cloth.  I  know  one  industrious  lady,  in  Texas,  who  works  up 
her  entire  clip  from  a  fiock  of  about  three  hundred  head  of  goats 
in  making  cinches  or  saddle  girths,  which  she  sells  readily  for  $6.00 
per  do--!en.  Any  child,  of  ordinary  intelligence,  can  soon  learn  to 
twist  the  mohair  into  cords  of  the  proper  thickness  and  weave 
them  into  the  large  iron  buckles  at  either  end  (a  pattern  can  be 
had  from  any  saddlery  or  harness  maker.)  They  are  quickly  and 
easily  made  and  are  considered  superior  to  any  other  kind  for 
the  reason  that  they  do  not  get  hard  £.nd  stif?  after  being  used. 
Besides  the  saddle  girth,  a  coarse  saddle-blanket  can  be  woven  and 
yarn  can  be  made  for  knitting  socks,  making  blankets,  and  cloth 
for  home  use.  The  stufif  is  very  durable,  and,  although  home- 
made goods  are  not  always  so  attractive  to  the  eye  as  machine- 
made,  the  satisfaction  of  having  them  wear  zveU,  compensates 
largely  for  looks,  and  finish. 

In  Dr.  Davis'  letter  to  the  U.S.  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
in  1853,  he  makes  reference  to  the  fact  that,  "he  had  worn  socks 
six  years,  made  from  Angora  goat  hair,  and  they  were  still  per- 
fectly sound."  There  is  practically  no  wearing  out  mohair  goods, 
and,  a  pair  of  pantaloons,  or  a  dress,  made  from  it  will  last  as 
long  as  you  care  to  wear  them.  The  lady  referred  to  above  is 
of  the  old  school ;  she  has  her  spinning  wheel,  and  makes  her 
own  yarn ;  and  has  a  home-made  loom  for  weaving  cloth.  She 
and  her  children  make  the  girths  at  odd  times  during  the  year, 
and  she  has  often  told  me  that  her  small  flock  of  Angora  goats 
were  of  more  practical  value  to  her  than  any  other  class  of  stock 
she  had,  as  they  cost  Httle  or  nothing  to  keep,  and  furnished  meat 
and  clothing  for  the  entire  family,  besides  a  considerable  sum  of 
money  from  the  sale  of  saddle-girths. 

Pets.  I  would  not  recommend  making  a  pet  out  of  a  kid, 
although  it  is  very  cute,  and  can  be  taught  nearly  everything  but 
to  talk.  They  seem  to  possess  more  intelligence  than  many 
other  animals,  but  are  inclined  to  become  very  mischievous  in 
the  house  when  they  get  to  be  a  few  months  old  and  it  is  hard  to 
control  the  Httle  rascals.  I  would  not  advise  you  to  take  one 
from  the  flock.  They  will  follow,  like  a  dog,  and  come  at  the 
call  of  their  name.     It  is  quite  common  for  Mexican  herders  to 


IncidcntaU  or  By-Prodncts  of  the  Angora  Goal.  28 1 

have  one  or  more  of  these  pets,  which  they  call  "Sancho ;"  and 
it  is  quite  amusing  to  see  the  little  fellows  run  out  of  a  large  flock 
when  they  hear  their  names  called.  Their  cry  is  much  like  that 
of  an  infant,  and,  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  has  given  rise  to  the 
Americanism  "Kid,"  so  commonly  applied,  at  the  present  time, 
to  nearly  all  American  children. 

They  can  be  made  very  useful,  however,  if  well-trained,  in 
drawing  small  wagons,  and,  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  are 
largely  used  for  this  purpose. 

In  his  paper  on  "The  Goat,"  the  Hon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  says : 

"They  are  not  infrequently  harnessed  to  small  wagons  or  carts,  for 
marketing  or  pleasure  purposes,  or  made  to  pack  small  loads,  as  beasts 
of  burden.  Their  use  and  importance  have  thus  become  valuable,  and  in- 
dispensable over  large  portions  of  Europe  and  Asia."  (See  Agtl.  Dept. 
Report,  1863.) 

It  is  quite  common  to  see  trained  goats  at  any  of  our  large 
city  parks,  but,  as  a  general  thing,  they  are  of  the  common 
species.  I  am  very  sure  that  a  considerable  profit  can  be  real- 
ized by  the  sale  of  trained  Angora  wethers,  owing  to  their  more 
attractive  appearance. 

They  are  often  trained  to  lead  sheep  into  cars  when  being 
loaded  for  market ;  and,  from  the  stock  pens,  to  the  large  slaugh- 
tering houses.  A  notable  animal  of  this  kind,  called  "Judas 
Jscariot,"  has  very  recently  died,  after  many  years  of  useful 
service,  in  Chicago. 

Milking  qnalitics.  The  milk  of  the  Angora  goat  is  of  super- 
ior quality  though  they  do  not  yield  as  much  as  some  of  the 
common  varieties.  The  Spanish  or  Mexican  goat  is,  however, 
a  very  good  milker,  and  many  of  the  Angoras  that  have  been 
crossed  with  this  breed  make  excellent  milkers.  In  the 
report  of  Mr.  Diehl,  above  referred  to,  he  says  : 

"The  'Scinde,'  the  'Maltese,'  the  'Asr-yrian,'  the  'Syrian,'  the  'Swiss,' 
and  other  varieties,  especially  in  Europe,  have  become  most  valuable 
milkers;  and,  for  convenience  and  economy  to  the  poor,  or  where  feed 
is  high  and  pasturage  scarce,  it  has,  in  many  places  and  instances,  sup- 
planted the  cow,  as  it  is  kept  about  the  house  almost  anywhere.  Espec- 
ially about  towns  and  villages  and  cities,  where  there  are  so  many  vacant 
lots  and  commons,  where  they  can  browse  on  the  coarsest  of  food  and 
herbage,  or  that  which  is  left,  or  refused,  by  the  horse,  cow  or  sheep, 
is  this  the  case. 


282  A  AVtc  Industry. 

"The  goat,  in  fact,  is  an  indiscriminate  feeder,  cropping  even  pois- 
onous plants  with  entire  impunity  and  relish,  as  there  are,  comparatively 
;'ew  plants  or  weeds  that  are  either  injurious  or  poisonous  to  it,  and  no 
herbage,  leaves  or  grasses,  seem  to  affect  the  quality  of  its  milk,  only, 
rather  to  give  it  flavor;  and,  in  traveling  through  Asia,  Africa  and  parts 
of  Europe,  it  is  quite  common  to  have  the  goat  brought  to  the  door, 
tent,  or  camp,  and  milked  for  our  use  in  our  presence,  whenever  milk 
was  required,  giving  us  the  assurance  that  the  milk  was  genuine  as  that 
of  goats.  It  is  much  used  both  by  travellers,  and  families,  and  especially 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  tropical,  low,  marshy,  bilious  and  fever 
countries,  as  a  preventative  and  cure  for  those,  and  other  diseases,  inci- 
dent to  such  countries.  The  medicinal  qualities  of  goat's  milk  has  long 
been  known  and  acknowledged,  especially  in  the  old  world,  and  in  some 
portions  of  this  country,  it  being  not  only  very  wholesome,  but  less  liable 
to  curdle  on  the  stomach;  and,  by  those  who  have  tested  the  different 
kinds  of  milk,  it  is  much  esteemed,  and  preferred  for  tea  and  coffee,  and 
is  largely  used  for  children's  use,  the  making  of  whey,  and  the  various 
medicinal  drinks  for  invalids,  especially  at  the  various  hospitals,  watering- 
places,  and  institutions  of  Europe,  and  a  few  of  our  own,  where  it  has 
been  duly  appreciated.  It  is  also  said  to  be  highly  beneficial  to  con- 
sumptives, dyspeptics,  and  other  like  invalids. 

■'Still,  an  undue,  and  unnatural,  prejudice  has,  and  does,  exist  in  the 
minds  of  many  people  of  this  country  against  both  the  animal  and  the 
use  of  its  milk,  but  without  any  good  reason. 

"Vaulable  varieties  of  the  Asiatic  goat  have  been  largely  introduced 
into  Europe,  where  they  are  quite  extensively  raised,  and  used  for  milk, 
from  which  butter,  cheese  and  whey  are  made,  to  a  considerable  extent. 

"But,  notwithstanding,  varieties  of  these  goats  have  been  imported 
into  the  United  States  by  emigrants,  and  people  of  this  country  for  their 
own  use.  the  animals  have  been  subsequently  neglected,  mainly  on  account 
of  the  cheapness  of  cows,  and  the  easy  facilities  of  pasturing  them  upor. 
the  extensive  public  domains,  cheap  pasture  lands  or  commons. 

"But.  as  the  -land  has  become  occupied,  and  more  valuable,  the 
expense  of  purchasing  and  keeping  cows  has  increased,  and  the  vakie 
of  butter,  milk  and  cheese  is  enhanced  by  the  enlarged  demand,  the  atten- 
tion of  thousands  of  our  people,  especially  of  the  poor,  and  laboring 
classes,  has  been  turned  to  the  breeding,  and  keeping,  of  goats;  their 
milking  qualities  have  been  greatly  improved  and  their  value  so  increased 
that  we  have  recently  seen  common  milking  goats  bought  and  sold  at  the 
price  of  an  ordinary  cow,  a  few  years  ago,  namely,  from  $10.00  to  $25.00, 
and  any  ordinary  milking  goat  is  valued  at  $8.00  to  $10.00. 

(I  would  state  that  upon  one  of  my  trips  to  the  State  of  Iowa  with 
a  lot  of  breeding  goats,  I  met  an  Italian  who  was  surprised  that  we  did 
not  make  use  of  goats'  milk  in  Texas.  He  was  then  living  near  Chicago, 
and  told  me  he  had  paid  $10.00  each  for  a  lot  of  does  from  which  he 
made  a  good  profit  in  making  cheese  at  25  cents  per  pound,  and  could 


Incidental,  or  By-Prodiicis  of  the  Angora  Goat.  28^ 

not  supply  the  demand  for  it.  Cows  are  so  abundant  in  Texas  it  is  not 
surprising  that  goats  are  not  used  for  milking  purposes,  but  it  is  a 
fact  that,  in  Mexico,  the  goat's  milk  is  preferred  above  that  of  the  cow, 
and  the  Mexican  herders  employed  on  our  Texas  ranches  will  go  to  great 
trouble  to  get  milk  from  a  goat  if  it  is  to  be  had  at  all,  rather  than  use 
cow's  milk.) 

"Most  of  the  milkers  give  from  two  to  three  quarts  per  day, "especially 
if  well  fed,  tethered,  and  milked  three  times  a  day. 

"General  J.  S.  Goe,  of  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  reports  an  Assyr- 
ian goat  in  his  possession,  milking  a  gallon  per  day,  after  the  weaning  of 
its  kid.  A  similar  goat,  now  in  possession  of  the  writer,  is  reported 
to  have  yielded  twenty  dollars'  worth  of  milk  during  the  season,  after 
selling  two  kids  at  $8.00  each.  The  milk  was  mainly  sold  to  physicians 
for  patients,  at  ten  and  twelve  cents  per  quart.  A  number  of  the  famed 
Maltese  milkers,  which  wc  examined,  we  were  assured,  yielded  nearly 
the  same  results,  and  we  have  obtained  ten  cents  per  quart  for  some 
from  our  Malt'jse  and  Cashmere  grades,  for  medicinal  purposes.  Thus, 
around  the  suburbs  of  onr  large  cities,  iTi  many  of  the  smaller  towns,  in 
our  coal  and  mineral  regions,  and  along  many  of  otir  public  works,  great 
quantities  of  the  common  goat  can  be  seen  in  use,  while  their  value 
is  being  materially  enhanced  by  more  attention  to  good  breeding  and  val- 
uable crosses.  Among  the  most  valuable  milkers  we  have,  the  'Maltese,' 
the  'Swiss,'  the  'Assyrian,'  the  'Syrian,'  the  'Scinde,'  the  'Spanish,'  and  the 
'Welsh'  goats. 

"Under  many  circumstances,  the  goat  is  found  more  valuable  than 
either  sheep  or  swine,  as  goats  will  live  and  thrive  where  they  would 
starve:  yielding  milk,  wool,  kids,  mutton  and  skins.  A  good  goat  will 
yield  milk  nearly  all  the  year,  or  within  a  few  weeks  of  parturition,  if 
fed  and  cared  for.  The  kids  should  be  allowed  to  suck  two  weeks,  and 
then  sold,  especially  the  buck  kids.  The  goat  should  then  yield  a  quart 
of  milk  at  each  milking,  or  meal,  three  times  a  day,  say  at  7  a.  m.,  at  noon 
at  7  or  8  p.  m.  About  three  months  subsequent  to  parturition  the  supply 
of  milk  falls  off  to  about  two  quarts  daily,  and  continues  so  until  within 
about  three  months  of  the  next  kidding,  when  it  falls  ofif  to  about  one 
quart  a  day.  The  goat  should  be  milked  three  times  daily,  in  consequence 
of  the  want  of  capacity  of  her  udder,  for,  when  the  udder  becomes 
charged  with  milk,  the  goat  lies  down,  ceases  feeding,  and  no  further 
secretion  of  milk  takes  place;  but,  relieve  her  by  milking,  and  she  again 
proceeds  to  feeding,  and  secretes  a  fresh  supply  of  milk,  far  more  nutri- 
tious, and  nourishing,  and  easier  of  digestion  than  that  of  the  cow.  It  is 
not  generally  known  that  a  goat  tethered  to  a  certain  spot  will  yield  more 
milk  than  when  permitted  to  roam  at  large,  without  restraint,  but  such 
is,  nevertheless,  the  fact.  The  tether  should  be  attached  to  a  long  pin 
driven  in  the  ground,  furnished  with  a  swivel,  in  order  that  entanglement 
may  be  avoided,  and  shifted  where  a  fresh  supply  of  herbage  may  be 
obtained. 


284  A   New  Industry. 

"As  goats  are  often  disposed  to  be  mischievous,  and  trespass  upon 
forbidden  property,  either  by  climbing  or  creeping,  a  yoke  may  be  made 
consisting  of  three  pieces  of  wood,  put  over  the  goat's  neck,  and  fastened 
there  in  a  triangular  form,  which  is  found  useful  to  prevent  their  getting 
through  hedges  or  fences,  while  a  side-line,  attaching  the  fore  foot  to 
the  hind  one,   of  the  same  side,  prevents  them  climbing  or  leaping. 

"With  these  two  simple  contrivances,  a  goat  may  be  allowed  to  go 
anywhere  without  being  able  to  enter  a  garden  or  field.  The  goat  may 
be  milked  fifteen  days  after  parturition,  when  the  milk  is  sweet,  nourish- 
ing and  medicinal,  having  an  agreeable,  aromatic  flavor,  no  doubt  impart- 
ed by  the  herbs  and  wild  food  upon  which  it  feeds  and  delights  to 
pasture;  and  this  quality  renders  it  peculiarly  appropriate  for  the  manu- 
facture of  cheese  and  bultcr.  delicious  specimens  of  which  we  ate  in  Asia 
and  Europe. 

"There  is,  perhaps,  more  difference  among  goats  than  any  other  class 
of  animals,  their  milk  varying  both  in  quality  and  quantity,  the  latter 
from  one  pint  to  four  quarts  daily."  See  U.  S.  Agtl.  Dept.  Rept.  1863, 
p.  217. 

Referring  to  the  subject  of  "goats,"  the  Encyclopedia  Brit- 
tanica,  says  : 

"The  value  of  goat's  milk,  as  a  source  of  household  economy,  is  much 
greater  than  is  generally  supposed.  This  is  so  well  shown  by  Cuthbert 
W.  Johnston,  Esq..  in  an  article  in  the  'Uanncfs  Magazine,''  that  we  shall 
quote  from  it  at  some  length: 

"  "The  comfort  derived  by  the  inmates  of  a  cottage  from  a  regular 
supply  of  new  milk  need  hardly  be  dwelt  on.  Every  cottager's  wife, 
over  her  tea,  every  poor  parent  of  a  family  of  children,  fed  almost  entirely 
on  a  vegetable  diet,  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is,  above  all  things,  desir- 
able to  be  able  to  have  new  milk  as  a  variation  to  their  daily  food  of 
bread  and  garden  vegetables.  The  inhabitant  of  towns,  and  of  suburban 
districts,  we  all  know,  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  milk  dealer;  the  milk  he 
procures  is  rarely  of  the  best  quality;  and.  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances,  he  receives  it  with  suspicion,  and  his  family  consumes  it 
with  sundry  misgivings  as   to   its   wholesomeness. 

"  'Having  personally  experienced  these  difficulties,  and  having,  about 
three  years  since,  commenced  the  attempt  to  supply  my  family  with 
goat's  milk,  and,  as  our  experience  is  cheering,  I  desire,  in  this  paper, 
to  advocate  the  claims  of  the  milch  goat  to  the  attention  of  the  cottager, 
and  the  other  dwellers  in  the  suburban,  and  rural  districts. 

"  'Few  persons  are,  perhaps,  aware  of  the  gentleness,  and  playfulness, 
of  the  female  goat,  how  very  cleanly  are  its  habits,  how  readily  it  accom- 
modates itself  to  any  situation  in  which  it  is  placed.  Confined  in  an 
outhouse,  turned  on  to  a  common,  or  into  a  yard,  tethered  on  a  grass 
plat,   it    seems   equally    content.      I    have    found    it    readily   acommodates 


Incidental,  or  By-Proditcts  of  the  Angora  Goat.  s8f^ 

itself  to  the  tethering  system,  fastened  by  a  leathern  collar,  rope  and  iron 
swivel,  secured  by  a  staple  to  a  heavy  log  of  wood.  The  log  is  the  best 
(and  this  with  a  smooth,  even  surface  at  the  bottom)  because  it  can  be 
readily  moved  about  from  one  part  of  the  grass  plat  to  another.  The  goat, 
too,  uses  the  log  as  a  resting  place  in  damp  weather.  The  goat  should 
be  furnished  with  a  dry  sleeping  place,  and  this,  in  case  of  its  inhabiting 
open  yards,  can  be  readily  furnished,  anything  that  will  serve  as  a  dry  dog 
kennel  will  be  comfortable  enough  for  a  goat. 

"  'The  milk  of  the  goat  is  only  distinguishable  from  that  of  the  cow 
by  its  superior  richness,  approaching,  in  fact,  the  thin  cream  of  cow's  milk 
in  quality.  The  cream  of  goat's  milk,  it  is  true,  separates  from  the  milk 
with  great  tardiness,  and  never  so  completely  as  in  the  case  of  cow's  milk. 
This,  however,  is  of  little  consequence,  since  the  superior  richness  of 
goat's  milk  renders  the  use  of  cream  almost  needless.  The  comparative 
analysis  of  milk  of  the  cow,  and  goat,  will  show  my  readers  how  much 
richer  the  latter  is  than  that  of  the  former:  100  parts  of  each,  according 
to  M.   Regnault,   gave,  on  an  average: 


Water    j  84.7 

Butter    i  4.0 

Sugar   of   milk   and    soluble    salts    i  5.0 

Caseine  (cheese),  albumen  and  insoluble  salts  1  3.6 


"  'So  that,  while  the  milk  of  the  cow  yields  12.6  per  cent,  of  solid  mat- 
ter, that  of  the  goat  produces  17  per  cent.  Goat's  milk  yielding  rather 
more  butter,  rather  less  sugar  of  milk,  but  considerable  more  caseine 
(cheese)   than  that  of  the  cow. 

"  'It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  taste  of  the  milk  of  the  goat 
(lifters  in  any  degree  from  that  of  the  cow;  it  is,  if  anything,  sweeter, 
hut  it  is  quite  devoid  of  any  taste  which  might  very  reasonably  be  sup- 
posed to  be  derivable  from  the  high-flavored  shrubs  and  herbs  upon 
which  the  animal  delights  to  browse. 

"  'The  amount  of  milk  yielded  by  the  goat  varies  from  two  quarts 
to  one  quart  per  day;  it  is  greatest  soon  after  kidding  time,  and  this 
gradually  decreases  to  about  a  pint  per  day,  a  quantity  which  will  continue 
for  twelve  months.  This  is  not  a  large  supply,  it  is  true,  but  still  it  is 
one  which  is  available  for  many  very  useful  purposes;  and,  be  it  remem- 
bered, that  when  mixed  with  more  than  its  own  bulk  of  luke-warm  water, 
it  is  then  in  every  respect  superior  to  the  milk  supplied  by  the  London 
dairymen. 


j86  a  iVccV  Iiidttstry. 

"  "In  regard  to  the  best  variety  of  goats  to  be  kept,  I  would  recom- 
mend the  smooth-haired  kind,  which  are  quite  devoid  of  bear  s,  or  long 
hair.  In  this  opinion  I  am  confirmed  by  an  experienced  correspondent, 
-Mr.  W.  H.  Place,  of  Hound  House,  near  Guildford,  who  remarked,  in 
a  recent  obliging  communication:  "I  found  that  the  short-haired  goats, 
with  very  little  beards,  were  the  best  milkers;  but  from  these  I  seldom 
liad  more  than  four  pints  a  day,  at  the  best  (I  should  say  three  pints 
were  the  average)  and  this  quantity  decreases  as  the  time  of  kidding 
approaches  (the  goat  carries  her  young  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  weeks). 
They  should  not  be  fed  too  well  near  the  kidding  time,  or  you  will  lose 
the  kids.  In  winter  I  gave  them  hay,  together  with  mangel-wurzel  globe, 
and  Swedish  turnips,  carrots,  and,  sometimes,  a  few  oats;  and  these 
kept  up  their  milk  as  well  as  anything;  but,  of  course,  it  was  most  abund- 
ant when  they  could  get  fresh  grass.  The  milk  I  always  found  excellent, 
but  I  never  had  enough  of  it  to  induce  me  to  attempt  making  butter, 
except  once,  as  an  experiment;  my  cook  then  made  a  little,  which  was 
t'asily  done  in  a  little  box  churn;  the  butter  proved  very  good.  I  found 
the  flesh  of  the  kids  very  tender  and  delicate. 

■■  1  an  ada  Jittle  to  Mr.  Place's  information  as  to  their  food;  mine 
have  generally  fed  out  of  the  same  rack  as  a  Shetland  pony,  with  whom 
.ihey  are  on  excellent  terms.  The  pony,  throughout  the  summer,  is  soiled 
with  cut  grass,  and  I  notice  that  the  goats  pick  out  the  sorrel,  sow 
thistle,   and   all   those   weeds  wl  ich   the   pony  rejects. 

"  "In  the  garden  (if  they  are,  by  chance,  allowed  to  browse),  I  notice 
that  ihey  s  lect  the  rose  trees,  common  laurels,  arbutus,  laurestinas,  and 
I  he  laburnum.  Of  culinary  vegetables  they  prefer  cabbages  and  lettuces; 
they  also  bite  pieces  out  of  the  tubers  of  the  potato. 

"  'They  carefully  pick  up  the  leaves,  whether  green,  or  autumnal,  of 
timber  trees;  of  these,  they  prefer  those  of  the  oak  and  elm,  and  delight 
in  acorns  and  oak  apples.  We  are  accustomed  to  collect  and  store  the 
acorns  for  them  against  winter,  spreading  the  acorns,  thinly,  on  a  dry 
floor,  to  avoid  mouldiness,  which  follows  the  sweating  of  acrons  laid  in  a 
heap. 

"  'As  I  have  before  remarked,  none  of  these  astringent  substances 
affect  the  taste  of  their  milk,  and  I  may  here  observe,  that,  with  ordinary 
gentleness,  there  is  no  more  difficulty,  if  so  much,  in  milking  a  goat, 
than  a  cow. 

■'  'The  manure  of  a  goat  is,  perhaps,  the  most  powerful  of  all  our 
(Inmcstic  animals. 

"  'Such  are  the  chief  facts  which  I  have  deemed  likely  to  be  useful 
in  inducing  the   extended  keeping  of  the  milch  goat. 

"  'It  is  an  animal,  I  feel  well  assured,  may  be  kept  with  equal  advant- 
age by  the  cottager,  and  the  dwellers  in  larger  houses.  It  is  useless  to 
compare  it  with  the  cow,  or  to  suppose  that  the  goat  can  supplant  it  in 
situations  where  the  cow  can  be  readily  kept;  but,  in  the  absence  of  pas- 


IncidcntaL  or  By-Products  of  the  Angora  Goat.  jSy 

tures,  and  in  places  where  there  is  too  Httle  food  for  cows,  I  feel  well 
convinced  that,  with  ordinary  care  and  attention,  and  a  moderate  firm- 
ness in  overcoming  the  prejudices  of  those  unaccustomed  to  the  goat 
(and  unless  these  are  found  in  the  owner,  live  stock  never  are  profitable), 
the  value,  and  the  comfort,  of  a  milch  goat  are  much  greater  than  is 
commonly  known. 

"  'The  waste  produce  of  a  garden  is  exceedingly  useful  in  the  keep 
of  a  goat.  By  them  almost  every  refuse  w-eed,  all  the  cuttings  and  clear- 
ings, which  arc  wheeled  into  the  rubbish  yard,  are  carefully  picked  over 
and  consumed.  To  them  the  trimmings  of  laurels,  and  other  evergreens, 
pea  haulm,  and  cabbage  stocks,  etc.,  are  all  grateful  variat'ons  of  their 
food.  In  winter,  a  little  sainfoin,  hay,  or  a  few  oats,  keeps  them  in  excel- 
lent condition.  In  summer,  the  mowing  of  a  small  grass  plot,  watered 
with  either  common,  or  sewerage  water,  will,  with  the  aid  of  the  refuse 
garden  produce,  keep  a  goat,  from  the  end  of  April  luitil  October.'  " 
(See  Ency.  Brit..  Vol.  I,  p.  399.) 

Col.  J.  \\'ash.  Watts,  of  South  Carolina,  says  : 

"A  cross,  made  with  a  pure  Angora  buck  with  a  Maltese  doe  goat, 
produced  a  doe  that  gave  me  four  quarts  of  as  good  milk  as  any  cow 
on  my  plantation.  The  feed  of  one  of  my  cows  will  keep  twelve  goats. 
My  cows  must  have  certain  food,  or  they  will  not  thrive.  My  goats  will 
eat  anything,  almost,  and  do  well,  and  with  this  advantage,  that  their  milk 
and  butter  are  not  in  any  way  afTected  by  their  diet.  The  milch  produc- 
ing qualities  could  be  developed  in  the  Angora,  by  careful  and  continuous 
breeding  to  this  end,  without  crossing,  so  that  excellence  of  fleece  might 
be  preserved.  If  this  could  be  efifected,  the  Angora,  furnishing  a  double 
profit  in  fleece  and  milk,  could  take  the  place  of  the  common  goats  kept 
in  and  around  the  large  towns."     (See  Hayes,  p.  69.) 

Solomon   evidently  thouo-ht   highly  of  o"oat's   milk,   for   he 


"And  thou  shalt  have  goat's  milk  enough  for  thy  fuod.  for  the  food 
of  thy  household,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  thy  maidens."  (Proverbs. 
xxvii:'27.) 

I  have  quoted  at  considerable  length  from  other  writers 
upon  the  milking  qualities  of  the  goat  because,  I  believe,  the  time 
has  arrived  in  the  United  States  when  it  is  almost  a  necessity 
for  many  of  our  citizens  who  live  in  large  towns  and  cities  to 
discontinue  the  use  of  cow's  milk.  The  character  of  milk  that 
is  commonly  sold  by  dairymen  is  poor,  but  this  is  nothing  com- 
pared with  the  risk  that  is  taken  by  consuming  milk  from  cows 
that  are  diseased. 


-"c?<V  A   Xczc  Industry. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  upon  the  part  of  our  well-informed 
l)hysicians  that  mtich  sickness  is  produced  from  using  milk  from 
cows  fed  upon  swill  and  impure  food ;  and,  it  stands  to  reason 
that  nearly  all  dairymen  who  undertake  to  carry  on  their  business 
in  the  crowded  vicinity  of  a  large  city  must  necessarily  resort  to 
means  in  the  feeding  and  housing  of  their  animals  which  is 
Injurious  to  their  constitution. 

Only  within  the  past  few  montlis  a  lot  of  dairy  cows  were 
(hcovered  in  the  State  of  Illinois  to  be  diseased,  which  were 
condemned  and  slaughtered  by  the  legal  authorities,  and  it  was 
dearly  pi  oven  that  they  contained  the  germs  of  tuberculosis. 
These  animals  had  been  supplying  milk  for  a  long  time  before 
any  action  was  taken,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  a  number  oi 
sufferers  from  that  fatal  disease,  consumption,  are  still  sufifer- 
ing  from  the  consequence  of  using  the  impure  milk  sold  from 
these  cows. 

Vigorous  efforts  are  being  made  in  Great  Britian  to  intro- 
duce goat's  milk  in  the  cities  and  towns  of  that  country  for  the 
same  reason  that  I  have  just  referred  to. 

The  Baroness  Burdette-Coutts  is  the  President  of  a  society 
known  as  "The  British  Goat  Society,"  the  purposes  of  which  arc 
stated  as  follows : 

"This  society  has  been  instituted  in  order  to  bring  more  promi- 
nently forward  the  utility  and  adaptability  of  the  goat  as  a  milk  supply. 
It  is  a  well  established  fact  that  in  rural  districts  the  families  of  the 
poor  rarely  taste  other  than  skim  milk,  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty 
of  procuring  the  pure  article  as  it  comes  from  the  cow.  It  is  either 
sent  wholesale  to  London  or  tlie  nearest  town,  or  utilized  at  once  in 
the  manufacture  of  butter  and  cheese.  On  the  continent  and  in  Ireland 
the  goat  is  regarded  as  the  poor  man's  cow,  supplying  as  it  does 
many  a  peasant  family  with  this  most  importart  article  of  diet,  the  defi- 
ciency of  which,  among  our  own  laborers'  children,  must  act  detri- 
mentally in  regard  to  their  physical  development.  The  goat  is  especi- 
ally adapted  for  such  a  purpose.  It  supplies  just  enough  milk  for  the 
ample  requirements  of  an  ordinary  household  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  year,  and  as  it  eats  with  avidity  almost  every  kind  of  herb  and 
vegetable,  and  is  besides  of  a  hardy  nature  it  is  kept  with  little  trouble 
and    at    almost    nominal    expense." 

"The  prevalence  of  tuberculosis  in  cows  is  a  cause  for  alarm,  and 
ihc  attention  of  the  medical  fraternity  and  the  general  public  is  attracted 


Incidental,  or  By-Prod  nets  of  tlic  Ajigora  Goat.  38g 

to  the  utility  ui  goat  milk.  Consumption  of  the  bones  or  some  particular 
organ  of  the  body  frequently  results  from  taking  into  the  system  milk 
from  tuberculous  cows. 

In  a  recent  address  before  the  Hudersfield  Technical  College  in 
England,  Sir  William  Broadbent  said:  'Cows  are  very  subject  to  tuber- 
culosis, and  at  a  certain  stage  of  the  disease  tubercle  bacilli  are  present  in 
the  milk.  It  is  through  milk  so  contaminated  that  children  come  to  have 
tuberculous  disease.  The  disease  of  bones  and  joints  to  which  children 
are  subject  are  probably  also  traceable  to  milk;  humpback,  hip-joint 
disease,  and  the  diseases  of  knees,  elbows,  etc.,  which  cripple  so  many 
children;  perhaps  so  is  lupus;  and  no  doubt  tubercle  is  often  implanted 
by  milk  in  early  life,  which  developes  later  into  consumption." 

"Sir  William  Broadbent  subsequently  goes  on  to  say:  'It  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  asses  and  goats  do  not  suffer  from  tuberculosis,  and  to 
bear  in  mind  that  the  shrewd  physicians  of  past  days  used  to  order  asses' 
and  goats'  milk  for  persons  threatened  with  consumption.' 

"S.  Holmes  Pegler,  Secretary  of  the  'British  Goat  Society,'  and 
author  of  'Advantages  of  Goat  Keeping,'  in  speaking  of  Sir  Wm.  Broad- 
bent's  address,  says:  'In  France  this  subiect  has  received  more  attention. 
Professor  Nocard  stated  some  seven  or  eight  years  since  that  out  of 
130,000  goats  and  kids  brought  to  Paris  for  slaughter  at  the  shambles  of 
La  Villette  every  spring,  the  meat  inspectors  of  that  city  failed  to  discover 
a  single  case  of  tuberculosis.  He  even  added  that  inoculation  fails  to 
introduce  the  fatal  bacillus  into  the  system  of  the  goat,  although  I  believe 
the  statement  has  since  been  questioned;  any  way,  I  have  been  told  by 
veterinary  authorities  in  this  country  that  attempts  made  in  England  have 
failed.  Goats'  milk  as  a  diet  for  children  has  man}'  advantages  over 
cows'  milk,  as  I  have  often  demonstrated,  but  this  one  great  virtue  trans- 
cends all  others,  and  it  is  inconceivable  that  parents  knowing  this,  and 
liaving  the  opportunities  and  accommodation  for  goat-keeping,  should 
not  avail  themselves  of  so  simple  and  economical  a  means  of  at  once 
providing  their  children  with  the  most  easily  digestible,  and  most  nour- 
ishing of  food,  and  safeguarding  them  from  one  of  the  greatest  evils  that 
civilization  of  the  present  day  is  subject  to.' 

■'Dr.  Adolph  H.  Allshorn,  Licentiate  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physic- 
ians, Licentiate  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  and  Physician  to  the 
Homoepathic  Plospitals,  Manchester  and  London,  says:  'As  a  substitute 
for  the  mother's  milk  to  children  deprived  of  that  necessary,  goats'  milk 
has  no  equal;  and  notwithstanding  the  similarity  in  composition  (as  re- 
vealed by  analysis),  no  one  who  has  seen  its  effects  can  doubt  its  super- 
iority to  cows'  milk.  In  diseased  conditions  of  infancy,  when  there  is  a 
tendency  to  deficient  assimilation  in  tubercular  disease.  Rachitis,  Exo- 
phthalmic Goitre,  I  have  proved  its  success,  and  have  succeeded  in  rear- 
mg  a  third  or  fourth  child  of  a  family,  the  previous  children  of  whicli 
have   died   in    infancy   from   hereditary   diease.     Children    brought    up    on 


2^0  A   \cw  Jiuiiistry. 

goats'  milk  for  a  time  after  weaning  from  the  mother,  will  compare  more 
than  favorably  with  those  brought  up  under  like  conditions  on  cows' 
milk.  I  believe  that  goats'  milk  in  senil  conditions  is  of  the  utmost  value, 
and  know  that  it  has  a  retarding  efifect  in  cases  of  Atheroma,  whether 
this  is  due  to  the  peculiar  acid  (Hircie)  which  it  contains  I  am  unable  to 
say  with  certainty." 

"Dr.  R.  J.  Lee,  M.  R.  C.  P.,  Physician  to  the  Children's  Hospital. 
Great  Ormand  Street,  London,  in  his  lecture  on  'Goats'  Milk  as  a  Food 
for  Infants  and  Invalids,'  read  before  the  members  of  the  British  Goat 
Society,  said:  "What  we  desire  to  prove  is,  that  whilst  equal  to  that  of 
any  other  milk-yielding  animal  in  its  nutritive  properties,  it  is  specially 
valuable  for  children.  On  this  point  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  whatever. 
and  am  quite  certain  that  if  a  hundred  children  were  fed  on  goats'  milk, 
and  compared  with  an  equal  number  of  corresponding  ages  (all  circum- 
stances being  similar)  who  were  fed  on  any  other  milk,  except  that  of 
their  mothers,  the  goats'  milk  children  would,  in  comparison  at  least 
with  those  fed  on  cows'  milk  have  an  advantage.  This  opinion  has  been 
formed  partly  from  my  own  observation,  for  the  children  that  I  have  seen 
fed  on  goats'  milk  hav-  thriven  in  the  most  satisfactory  way,  even  when 
they  had  not  thriven  on  cows'  milk:  partly  also  from  the  experience  of 
those  who  have  kept  goats  and  brought  up  large  and  healthy  families 
upon  the  milk.  I  will  give  one  instance  among  many  that  have  come 
uhder  my  notice  of  the  value  of  goats'  milk  as  a  food  for  young  children. 
It  was  that  of  an  infant  three  nKuUhs  old.  whose  mother  w'as  obliged  to 
wean  it,  with  the  not  infreiiuent  result  of  serious  illness  to  the  child.  Af- 
ter trying  the  usual  plans  of  feeding  children  under  these  circumstances, 
I  advised  that  goats"  milk  should  be  tried  before  resorting  to  a  wet  nurse. 
A  quart  of  fresh  goats'  milk  was  obtained  daily  from  the  country,  was 
boiled  and  at  first  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  water.  The  child  drank 
between  three  pints  and  two  quarts  daily  till  he  was  six  months  old, 
when  his  father  went  to  Pau  for  the  winter.  There  was,  however,  no  oc- 
casion to  make  any  change  in  his  diet,  for  the  milk  can  be  obtained  very 
easily  indeed  in  Pau,  as  goats  are  driven  in  herds  through  the  town  every 
day,  and  are  milked  before  the  houses.  Till  the  age  of  nine  months  the 
child  was  fed  on  nothing  but  goats'  milk  ami  thrived  in  the  most  satis- 
factory way.  He  has  grown  into  a  fine  boy,  and  if  his  parents  had  not 
been  leaving  town  this  morning,  his  mother  would  have  liked  him  to  have 
come  here  and  shown  himself  for  our  satisfaction.' 

"Dr.  Charles  Edward  Shelly,  B.  A.,  M.  B.,  Medical  Officer  to  Hailey- 
bury  College,  says:  'For  infants,  I  believe  goats'  milk  to  he  the  best 
substitute  for  their  natural  ailment,  when  that  is  for  any  cause  not  obtain- 
able. Not  the  least  of  its  advantages  is  due  to  the  fact  that,  owing  to  its 
superior  digestibility,  it  requires  less  dilution  than  does  cows'  milk;  and 
hence  the  child  takes  the  requisite  amount  of  nourishment  in  a  smaller 
bulk,  and  thereby  escapes  much  of  the  sickness  and  irritation  which  are 


Incidental,  or  By-Proditcts  of  the  Angora  Goat.  2pi 

apt  to  result  from  too  frequent  feeding  and  over-distension  of  the  stom- 
ach and  bowels.  As  in  the  case  of  cows'  or  asses'  milk,  it  is  usually  better 
to  sweeten  it  with  a  little  glycerine  rather  than  with  cane  sugar,  which  is 
prone  to  favor  fermentation  in  warm  weather.  For  invalids,  for  conva- 
lescents, and  in  many  of  the  diseases  of  the  old  age,  it  is  most  valuable: 
and  a  liking  for  it  is  usually  soon  acquired.  In  cases  of  impaired  general 
nutrition,  where  there  was  nothing  which  could  be  definitely  termed 
disease,  it  has  proved  a  most  useful  addition  to  the  dietary.  If  its  use 
can  be  extended  amongst  the  poorer  classes  of  the  community,  I  believe 
that  it  will  not  only  prove  a  distinct  boon  financially,  especially  in  coun- 
try districts,  but  that  it  will  be  a  powerful  agent  in  tending  to  lessen  the 
present  lamentably  high  rate  of  infant  mortality;  and  that  it  will  help  to 
lay  the  foundations  of  a  sronger  and  more  vigorous  manhood  and  wom- 
anhood than  can  be  expected  to  result  from  the  kind  of  dietary  which  is 
now  almost   universal   amongst   the   children   of   the    poor.'  " 

There  is  very  little  doubt  but  that  there  would  be  quite  a 
demand  for  milch  goats  if  farmers  in  the  neig'hborhood  of 
our  large  cities  and  towns  were  prepared  to  furnish  them.  It 
often  occurs  that  an  infant  is  left  without  a  mother  to  nourish  it, 
and,  in  such  cases,  almost  any  sum  would  be  paid  for  a  goat 
rather  than  resort  to  the  risk  attending  the  use  of  the  dairyman's 
stuff. 

I  teel  sure  that  this  branch  of  the  industry  is  susceptible  of 
very  profitable  returns,  and,  in  grading  up  a  lot  of  common 
(Mexican  or  Spanish)  goats,  a  very  good  market  can  be  found 
for  the  old  does,  after  they  have  been  used  to  propagate  the 
Angora. 

Leather  from  the  Angora  goat  is  not  considered  as  good  as 
that  produced  by  the  common  kind,  owing  to  the  more  delicate 
natttre  of  the  skin.  A  reduction  of  25  per  cent,  is  usually  made 
in  the  price. 

The  Horns  of  the  Angora  are  also  made  use  of  for  handles 
to  knives,  and  for  ornamentation.  I  have  seen  a  pair  of  horns, 
from  a  full-grown  male  that  were  very  handsome  when  pol- 
ished, and  set  on  a  panel  for  wall  decoration.  As  a  source  of 
revenue,  however,  this  amounts  to  little  or  nothinsf. 


2(^2  A  Nciv  Industr 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

WHERE    TO    RAISE    THE    ANGORA    GOAT    TO   GREATEST 
ADVANTAGE. 

As  far  as  climate  is  concerned,  the  Angora  will  do  well  in 
any  of  our  States  or  Territories  where  the  soil  is  not  marshy 
or  swampy.  A  dry,  rocky,  mountainous  country  is  the  best ; 
but  one  can  hardly  make  much  of  a  mistake  in  selecting  a 
location  that  is  free  from  the  objection  just  mentioned,  as  it  will 
generally  possess  more  or  less  of  the  rolling,  hilly  land,  which  the 
goat  naturally  delights  in. 

The  first  question  to  be  considered  is  :  What  number  of  goats 
are  intended  to  be  handled?  If  only  a  small  flock,  of  fifty  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  is  contemplated,  these  can  be  more  profit- 
ably cared  for  on  any  farm  ranging  say  from  two  hundred  acres 
up  to  six  hundred.  They  will  not  only  thrive  well  on  the  weeds 
in  the  pastures  and  old  fields,  but  will  grow  fat,  and  be  of  great 
advantage  to  the  owner  in  keeping  down  briars,  and  brush ;  that 
so  constantly  make  their  appearance  along  the  fences  and  cross- 
fences  of  farms.  The  labor  of  removing  these  "eyesores"  is  a 
continual  source  of  expense,  and  a  small  flock  of  Angora  goats 
will  make  the  fence  lines  look  as  clean  as  a  lawn,  and  return  a 
large  dividend  on  the  investment  in  the  animal.  If  there  should 
be  any  brush  land  on  the  farm,  the  goats  will  much  more  than 
pay  for  their  cost  in  the  improved  character  of  the  land,  but  I 
shall  refer  to  this  more  particularly  under  a  separate  chapter. 

My  present  purpose  is  to  discuss  the  matter  of  "ranching" 
goats  as  a  separate  and  distinct  branch  of  live  stock,  as  is  now 
commonly  carried  on  with  cattle,  sheep  and  horses. 

A  suitable  range  at  a  low  cost  or  rental  is  the  first  great 
essential. 


Where  to  Raise  the  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Advantage.      2pj 

The  Southern  States,  perhaps,  offer  the  greatest  advantage 
in  point  of  economy  in  handUng  the  animal,  owing  to  the  mild 
climate ;  but,  against  this,  the  Northern  States  have  a  tendency 
to  increase  the  product  of  mohair,  hence,  what  is  gained  in  one 
section  is  offset  by  an  equal  gain  in  the  other,  and  it  may  be  said 
there  is  no  advantage  to  be  had,  in  a  pecuniary  sense,  by  locating 
in  the  milder  climate,  provided  you  can  afford  to  build  shelter 
for  your  stock  in  the  colder  States. 

With  a  limited  amount  of  capital,  the  West,  and  Southwest- 
ern part,  of  Texas,  offers  more  advantages  for  breeding  than 
any  other  portion  of  the  United  States.  The  section  lying  west 
of  the  Colorado  River,  and  south  of  the  thirty-third  degree  of 
north  latitude,  is,  perhaps,  as  close  a  duplicate  of  Asia  Minor 
as  there  is  in  the  world,  possessing  all  the  characteristics,  of  that 
country  respecting  a  dry,  arid  climate,  and  high  altitude ;  besides, 
a  large  amount  of  evergreen  foliage,  and  nutritious  weeds,  which 
afford  an  abundance  of  green  feed  the  year  round,  together  with 
canons,  bluffs,  and  thickets  of  brush,  to  shield  the  animals  from 
the  cold  winds  of  winter. 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago,  this  vast  area  of  Texas,  equal  in 
size  to  the  State  of  New  York,  was  considered  to  be  valueless, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  water;  but,  this  has  been  overcome  by 
the  digging,  or  boring,  of  wells,  which  range  from  one  hundred 
to  four  hundred  feet  in  depth,  and  pumping  the  water  thus  ob- 
tained by  the  aid  of  windmills.  The  land  is  owned  partly  by  the 
State,  and  partly  by  individuals,  chiefly  railroad  corporations, 
who  received  it  from  the  State  years  ago  in  the  way  of  subsidies 
for  building  railroads.  Much  of  it  is  very  rough,  rocky  and 
mountainous ;  so  rough,  indeed,  that  a  cattleman  cannot  well 
handle  cattle  on  it,  and  it  is  therefore  largely  vacant  and  unoccu- 
pied. The  uniform  rental  for  State  lands  is  three  cents  per 
acre,  but  individual  owners  are  often  willing  to  take  less,  and  will 
accept  an  offer  of  two  cents  rather  than  have  their  lands  idle 
and  unproductive  of  some  revenue. 

The  Legislature  has  recently  placed  a  large  portion  of  the 
State  lands  upon  the  market,  for  actual  settlers,  at  $1.00  per 
acre,  upon  the  payment  of  one-fortieth,  or,  two  and  one-half 
cents  per  acre  cash,  and  the  remainder,  in  payments  of  one-for- 


2p4  A  New  Industry. 

tieth  annually,  with  three  per  cent,  interest.  Any  one  who 
intends  to  be  an  actual  settler,  on  the  land,  can  secure  four  sec- 
tions, of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  each.  The  payment  of  two 
and  one-half  cents  per  acre,  and  three  per  cent,  interest,  is  such  a 
very  small  sum  to  pay  out  annually  that  it  practically  amounts 
to  a  g-ift.  Information  can  be  had  as  to  where  these  lands  are 
located  by  inquiring  from  any  land  agent  at  Austin,  Texas.  Mr. 
E.  Cartlidge,  who  was  formerly  connected  with  the  State  Land 
Office,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Austin, 
wni  be  glad  to  answer  any  questions  concerning  this  matter. 

In  many  other  parts  of  Texas  now  occupied  by  cattle  raisers, 
there  is  a  large  amount  of  brushy  and  hilly  land,  suitable  only 
for  goat  raising  and,  if  the  owners  do  not  handle  goats  them- 
selves, an  arrangement  can,  usually,  be  made  to  rent  the  privilege 
of  range  and  water  at  from  one  cent  to  two  cents  per  goat  per 
month.  This  is  a  very  good  way  for  a  stranger  to  begin  with, 
as  it  will  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  investigate  more  closely 
into  the  various  parts  of  the  State,  where  he  can  secure  a  perma- 
nent location. 

The  section  I  have  referred  to  is  capable,  in  itself,  of  sup- 
porting several  million  head  of  goats ;  but,  it  is  as  nothing,  com- 
pared with  the  great  undeveloped  area  of  the  United  States, 
in  New  Mexico,  Montana,  Idaho,  Wyoming,  Colorado  and 
Oregon,  through  which  passes  the  great  range  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  the  natural  home  of  the  Wild  Mountain  goat, 
and  an  ideal  spot  to  develop  one  of  the  greatest  and 
grandest  industries  for  producing  mohair  that  exists  on  the 
globe.  The  larger  portion  of  these  lands  are  fit  for  nothing 
but  mining  and  goat  raising,  and  the  latter  would  be  a  great 
advantage  to  the  former  in  supplying  fresh  meat  to  the  miners. 
They  are  subject  to  entry  and  pre-emption,  under  the  United 
States  land  laws,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  no  other  industry  will  ever 
encroach  upon  them,  which  has  so  often  been  the  difficulty  with 
our  sheep  raisers.  Many  goat  ranches  are  now  established  in 
this  belt  of  territory  and  are  doing  well.  By  writing  to  any  of 
the  breeders  whose  names  and  addresses  can  be  found  under  the 
chapter  on  "Notes  From  Practical  Breeders,"  any  needed  in- 
formation can  be  secured. 


Ulicrc  to  Raise  flic  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Adi'aiitage.      2Q^ 

In  addition  to  the  almost  unlimited  available  space  already 
referred  to,  we  have,  in  nearly  every  one  of  our  Eastern  and 
Southern  States,  a  large  amount  of  mountainous  land,  as  well 
as  many  millions  of  acres  in  abandoned  farms  made  vacant  by  the 
vigorous  competion  of  the  more  fertile  west. 

These  farms  have  been  long  idle  and  are  overgrown  with 
briars  and  brush  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render  them  utterly 
valueless  for  either  cultivating  or  stock  raising,  and  are  a  source 
of  expense  to  their  owners. 

The  following  letters  that  I  have  leceived  from  the  Secre- 
taries of  the  Agricultural  Department  of  some  of  these  States, 
will  convey  a  fair  idea  of  the  advantages  offered  for  Angora  goat 
culture  in  the  same : 

MAINE.  Hon.  B.  Walker  McKeen,  Secretary  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Department,  writes  me  as  follows : 

Augusta,  Me.,  April  13,  1900. 
"Mr.  Will.   L.   Black,   Ft.   McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Replying  to  your  esteemed  favor  of  recent  date,  in  rela- 
tion to  land  in  Maine  suitable  for  raising  Angora  goats,  I  beg  to  say  that 
there  are  sections  in  the  State  that  are  somewhat  overgrown  with  briars 
and  low  shrubs,  but  not  in  locations  so  that  large  areas  could  be  pur- 
chased in  any  one  place.  I  know  of  no  stump  land  that  can  be  purchased 
cheaply,  as  most  of  it  is  new  land,  and  is,  without  doubt,  being  held  for 
cultivation  and  the  raising  of  those  farm  animals  that  are  usually  kept  in 
the  State. 

"Yours   very   truly, 

B.  WALKER  McKEEN. 

Extract  taken  from  "The  Oregon  Agriculturist  and  Rural 
Northwest,"  of  Portland,  Oregon : 

"J.  W.  Bailey,  Dairy  and  Food  Commissioner  for  Oregon,  recently 
visited  his  old  home  in  Maine,  after  an  absence  of  twenty-five  years. 
He  found  there  in  the  logged-off  sections,  thousands  of  acres  of  land 
which  had  grown  up  with  brush,  and  suggested  that  it  could  profitably 
be  used  as  a  pasture  ground  for  Angora  goats.  An  interview  with  him 
was  published  in  a  Bangor  paper,  in  which  he  talked  about  goats  in  such 
an  interesting  way,  that  since  his  return  he  has  been  deluged  with  letters 
from  Maine  enquiring  about  Angora  goats,  what  they  will  cost,  etc. 
He  is  satisfied  that  a  number  of  carloads  could  be  sold  there  if  they  could 
only  be  had  at  a  reasonable  price." 


2g6  A  New  hidustry. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  Hon.  N.  J.  Bachelder,  Secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Agriculture,  very  kindly  sent  me  a  catalogue  of 
New  Hampshire  farms  that  are  offered  for  sale  at  prices  rang- 
ing from  $4.00  per  acre,  up,  with  very  good  improvements,  from 
which  I  extract  the  following: 

■'State  of  New  Hampshire.  Board  of  Aciuculturk. 
Immigration  Department. 

"Concord,  N.   H..  J?nuai-y  1.  1^!)!). 

"The  numerous  inquiries  received  at  this  office  in  regard  to  {h<-  ?  - 
tages  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  opportunities  for  purchasing  farms  for 
agricultural  purposes,  or  for  summer  homes,  have  led  to  the  publication 
of  this  pamphlet.  During  the  past  ten  years  much  discussion  has  occur- 
red in  regard  to  the  abandoned  farms  of  New  England,  and  so  numerous 
have  these  inquiries  been  that  no  less  than  five  of  the  six  New  England 
States  have  found  it  advisable  to  issue  publications  upon  the  subject,  for 
the  information  of  inquirers  and  possible  purchasers  of  such  properties, 
and  a  large  number  of  farms  have  been  sold  and  become  occupied 
through  these  agencies. 

"Many  persons  who  have  become  interested  in  these  farms,  and  in  some 
instances  have  become  purchasers,  have  been  attracted  by  the  advantages 
surrounding  them,  rather  than  by  the  remarkable  fertility  of  the  soil  itself, 
and  the  greater  the  advantages  in  the  matter  of  roads,  schools,  and  gen- 
eral transportation  facilities,  the  larger  the  number  that  will  become  re- 
populated  and  thereby  aid  in  the  further  extension  of  public  facilities. 

"The  farms  to  which  we  have  called  attention,  and  which  are  brought 
to  notice  in  this  pamphlet,  are  those  upon  which  are  fairly  tenantable 
buildings  without  occupants, — farms  which  have  become  abandoned  from 
various  causes,  none  of  which  militate  against  the  farm  itself,  for  these 
farms  generally  compare  favorably  in  fertility  and  natural  productions 
with  the  occupied  farms  of  the  same  localities.  They  are  abandoned  only 
in  the  sense  that  the  buildings  are  without  occupants.  The  title  to  the 
land  is  still  held  by  some  one  who  pays  the  taxes,  gathers  the  frviit,  and 
cuts  such  portions  of  the  grass  for  hay  as  circumstances  warrant.  The 
buildings,  still  in  fairly  good  condition,  will  shelter  a  good-sized  family 
from  winter's  snows  or  summer's  sun,  and  afford  the  foundation  for 
establishing  a  home  in  one  of  the  most  favored  spots  on  the  globe. 

"N    J.  BATCHELDER, 
"Secretary." 

VERMONT.  Hon.  C.  J.  Bell,  Secretary  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture and  Cattle  Commissioner,  writes  me  as  follows : 


Jl'licrc  to  Raise  flic  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Ack'antage.      2Q/ 

"East    Hardwick,    Vt.,    April    14,    190n. 
"Mr.  Wm.   L.   Black,   Ft.   McKavett,  Texas. 

"My  Dear  Sir:— Answering  yours  of  the  3rd  inst.,  there  are  many 
acres  of  pasture  land  grown  up  more  to  bushes,  not  briars,  and  also 
many  acres  of  pastures  in  many  towns  back  upon  the  hills  that  can  be 
bought  from  $-2.00  to  $4.00  per  acre. 

"I  should  presume  in  many  instances  where  lumber  has  been  cut  of¥ 
clean,  and  covered  with  brush,  land  could  be  bought  for  one  dollar  per 
acre. 

"Yours  truly, 

C.  J.  BELL. 

MASSACHUSETTS.  Hon.  J.  W.  Stockwell,  Secretary 
State  Board  of  Agriciilttire,  writes  : 

"Boston,   Mass.,   April   12,    1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.   L.   Black,  Ft.   McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Replying  to  your  inquiry  would  say  that  we  have  issued 
no  farm  catalogue  since  December,  1897,  and  the  supply  of  that  issue  is 
exhausted.  We  are  now  making  plans  to  issue  an  entirely  new  edition 
and  hope  to  have  copies  for  distribution  this  coming  summer  or  early 
fall.     Will  file  your  request  for  a  copy. 

"There  is  no  uestion  but  that  we  have  areas  adapted  to  the  raising 
of  Angora  goats;  land  which  can  be  purchased  at  from  $5  to  $10  per  acre; 
and  presumably  our  climate  would  be  reasonably  favorable. 

"Respectfully, 

J.  W.  STOCKWELL,  Sec. 

CONNECTICUT.  Hon.  T.  S.  Gohl,  Secretary  Board  of 
Agrictilttire,  State  of  Connecticut : 

"West  Cornwall,   Conn..  April  13,  1900. 
"Mr.   Wm.   L.    Black. 

"My  Dear  Sir: — There  is  plenty  of  land  in  Connecticut  that  is  well 
adapted  to  both  sheep  and  goats,  but  the  dogs,  and  poor  fences  at  present 
rule.* 

"Yours   respectfully, 

T.  S.  GOHL,  Secty. 

PENNSYLVANIA.  Hon.  John  Hamilton,  Secretary  of 
Agriculture,  writes : 


*The  difficulty  mentioned  by  Mr.  Gohl  can  be  overcome  very  easily, 
by  putting  up  a  woven  wire  fence. 


2(^8  A  Nciv  Industry. 

"Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania, 

"Han-isburg,  Pa.,  April  12,  1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,   Ft.   McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Yours  of  the  3rd  instant  is  just  at  hand.  We  have 
plenty  of  land  that  is  grown  up  with  brush,  and  that  could  be  had  at  very 
low  rates.  It  is  scattered  in  many  districts  throughout  the  State,  at 
prices  ranging  from  $4.00  up. 

Very  respectfully, 

"JOHN    HAMILTON, 
"Secretary  of  Agriculture." 

NEW    JERSEY    .    Hon.    Franklin    Dye,    Secretary    State 
Board  of  Agriculture,  writes  : 

"Trenton,    N.   J.,   April   IG,    1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — I  have  yours  of  April  9th  making  inquiries  concerning 
the  Angora  goat  and  mohair  industry  so  far  as  it  applies  to  New  Jersey. 
In  answer  I  must  say  that  for  myself  I  know  absolutely  nothing  about 
the  industry  in  this  State  nor  whether  it  prevails  to  even  a  limited  extent; 
no  doubt  there  are  Angoras  goats  kept  in  some  localities  but,  evidently, 
not  to  such  an  extent  as  to  be  considered  by  reporters  worthy  of  sending 
to  this  office,  for  no  such  items  have  been  furnished  me  in  any  of  the  an- 
nual reports  from  the  counties. 

"It  is  an  industry,  however,  which  I  think  could  be  very  successfully 
carried  on  in  various  sections  in  this  State.  We  have  much  scrub  and 
brush  lands  in  the  southern  sections  which  are,  to  some  extent,  sandy; 
and  quite  extended  areas  of  similar  lands  in  the  hilly  and  mountainous 
regions  of  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  Furthermore,  these  lands  are 
held  at  a  very  low  price  and  could  be  utilized,  as  I  have  no  doubt  they 
will  be  in  the  very  near  future,  for  this  industry,  the  poultry  industry 
and  small  fruits  to  a  larger  extent  than  at  present  prevails.  Sorry  I 
have  not  the  information  at  my  command  to  answer  your  questions  in 
detail. 

"Very  respectfully  yours, 

"FRANKLIN  DYE, 

"Secretary." 

NEW  YORK.      Hon.  Charles  A.  Weiting,  Commissioner 
Department  of  Agriculture,   writes : 

"Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  19,  1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — In  reply  to  your  communication  of  the  3rd  inst.  I  have 
to  sav.  there  is  considerable  land  in  the  State  of  New  York  that  can  be 


IV here  to  Raise  the  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Adz'aiitage.      jpg 

bought  for  prices  ranging  from  three  to  six  dollars  per  acre  on  which 
goats  would  probably  thrive.  This  is  back  country  land  on  hills,  some 
rocks,  but  has  good  productive  soil. 

"Very  respectfully  yours, 

'•C.  S.  WELTING." 

MARYLAND.       The  President  of  Maryland  Agricultural 
College,  writes  as  follows  : 

"College  Park  P.  O.,  Maryland,  April  13,  1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Your  communication  received.  There  is  the  greatest 
amount  of  land  in  Southern  Maryland  of  the  character  to  which  you  re- 
fer, and  it  can  be  bought  from  four  to  ten  dollars  an  acre.  If  you  would 
correspond  with  R.  B.  Chew,  No.  512  F  St.,  N.  W.,  Washington,  D. 
C. ;  or,  with  the  Bureau  of  Immigration,  Baltimore,  Md.,  I  think  yon 
might   learn    something   to   your   benefit. 

"Very  truly  yours, 
"R.  W.  SENERLEY. 

"President." 

VIRGINIA.  Hon.  G.  W.  Koiner,  Commissioner  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  : 

Richmond,    Va.,    April    13,    1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black.  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — In  reply  to  your  inquiry  of  the  3rd  inst.,  I  beg  to  say 
that  there  is  a  good  deal  of  cheap  land  in  this  State  that  could  be  used 
in  raising  goats. 

"Yours  truly, 
G.    W.    KOINER, 

"Commissioner." 

WEST  VIRGINIA.  Hon.  J.  B.  Garvin  Secretary  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  : 

"Charleston,    W.    Va.,    April   20,    1900. 
"Mr.  Wm.  L.  Black,  Ft.   McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — I  have  been  getting  all  the  information  available  on 
the  Angora  goat,  and  would  be  glad  to  see  it  introduced  into  this  State. 
The  Apalachain  mountain  ranges  running  northeast  southwest  through 
the  Eastern  portion  of  the  State  affords  a  wonderful  range  of  brush 
lands,  admirably  adapted,  as  I  understand,  for  the  Angora  to  feed  upon. 
In  addition,  our  numerous  hill  lands  are  covered  with  the  growth  of 
bushes  and  briars  and  alders,  which  can  only  be  eradicated  by  some  such 


j;0D  A  Arzv  Iiidnst.  y. 

process.     Mr.  O.  D.   Hill,   of  Kendalia,   Kanawha,   County,   W.   Va.,   has 
the  only  herd  of  Angora  goats  in  the  State,  and  it  is  a  small  one. 

"I  send  you  by  this  mail,  our  fourth  biennial  report,  which  may 
be  of  some  interest  to  you. 

"Yours    truly, 
J.    B.    GARVIN." 

.  TENNESSEE.  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Paine,  Commissioner 
Department  of  Agriculture  : 

■•Nashville,   Tenn.,   April   10.   1900. 
"Mr.  Wni.  L.   Black,   Ft.   :\lcKavctt,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Yours  to  hand  in  regard  to  goats.  As  to  area  of  land 
for  raising  goats  you  can  purchase  lands  at  three  to  ten  dollars  per  acre, 
well  watered.  We  have  very  few  wild  animals  to  molest  goats,  and 
what  we  have  are  in  the  Eastern  part  of  the  State.  To  be  near  the  market 
I  do  not  think  a  more  suitable  place  can  be  found  than  some  of  the  coun- 
ties of  the  middle  section  of  the  State.  Now  as  to  gentlemen  who  have 
raised  goats  the  following  live  in  the  middle  section,  viz:  Messrs.  Jos. 
Phillips,  care  Berry  DeMoville  &  Co.,  Overton  Lea  and  John  A.  De- 
Moville,  all  of  Nashville,   Davidson  County,  Tenn. 

"Yours  respectfully, 
"THOMAS  H.  PAINE. 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  W.  E.  Hughes,  a  very  suc- 
cessful Angora  goat  breeder  in  Texas,  is  taken  from  "Claridge's 
Stock  Farmer,"  of  San  Antonio : 

"Not  long  ago  I  went  up  through  the  Eastern  end  of  Tennessee 
in  the  Cumberland  mountains  and  was  much  impressed  by  the  adapta- 
bility of  the  whole  of  that  section  to  the  raising  of  goats.  Hitherto  it 
has  been  regarded  as  being  of  but  little  worth  except  for  its  coal  mines 
and  timber;  besides  those  who  are  engaged  in  these  industries  there  are 
scattered  here  and  there  through  the  hills  a  few  small  farmers,  for  the 
most  part  what  are  known  as  'natives'  or  old  settlers,  who,  in  addition  to 
a  small  farm,  often  have  a  small  flock  of  sheep  which  is  allowed  to  run  at 
large,  and  also  raise,  perhaps,  three  or  four  calves  and  a  colt  or  two  and 
enough  hogs  to  keep  them  in  meat. 

"It  seems  strange  that  in  a  country  which  is  hilly  and  practically 
covered  with  underbrush  that  goats  have  scarcely  ever  been  thought  of 
as  a  feature  of  farming.  The  fields  are  mostly  on  a  hill-side,  so  steep 
that  they  say  you  have  to  use  stilts  on  the  down-hill  side  of  a  horse  in 
ploughing.  This  may  be  romance  but,  joking  aside,  it  comes  as  near 
being  a  goat's  paradise  as  any  country  I  was  ever  in.  While  the  hills 
are  very  steep  they  produce  a  very  luxuriant  herbage  among  other  bushes, 


Where  to  Raise  the  ,-ljigora  Goat  to  Greatest  Adi'aiifage.      ^^oi 

of  which  goats  are  fond;  there  is  sumac  in  large  quantities  scattered 
throughout,  and  the  tops  of  the  hills  seem  to  be  just  as  rich  as  the  bot- 
toms— generally  speaking  a  soit  of  sandy  loam  with  sufficient  clay  in 
its  composition  to  keep  it  from  washing,  and  here  and  there  a  reddish 
shade,  indicating  the  presence  of  iron  in  the  soil. 

"Another  feature  which  is  valuable  is  the  presence  of  small  springs 
which  are  to  be  found  in  large  numbers,  and  also  very  pretty  and  clear 
streams.  I  believe  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  take  an  hour's  walk 
in  any  direction  without  coming  across  one  or  the  other  of  these  water 
supplies.  The  winters  are  not  severe,  ^nd  the  broken  character  of  the 
country  furnishes  ample  shelter  for  stock.  One  peculiar  condition  that 
also  adds  to  its  attractiveness  as  a  goat  country  is  the  absence  of  wolves. 
The  scattered  sheep  which  the  settlers  allow  to  run  out  and  mix  with  one 
another  are  only  rounded  up  for  marking  and  shearing  or  for  some  such 
special  purpose,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  time  are  running  out  like  so  many 
cattle." 

LOUISIANA.  Hon.  Leon  Jastremski,  Commissioner 
Board  of  Agriculture  and  Immigration  : 

"Baton    Rouge.    La..    April    24.    19U0. 
"Mr.   Wm.    L.    Black.    Fort    :\IcKavett,    Texas. 

"Dear  Sir: — Your  letter  on  the  subject  of  the  raising  of  Angora  goats 
has  been  received.  I  am  not  aware  that  any  one  in  Louisiana  is  now  en- 
gaged in  this  industry  but  believe  that  it  could  be  successfully  carried  on 
in  the  greater  portions  of  the  State.  I  mail  you  to-day  a  descriptive 
pamphlet*  of  our  State  from  which  you  may  gather  all  requisite  infor- 
mation. 

"\^cry  truly  yours, 
"LEON  JASTREMKSI, 

"Commissioner." 

WASHIXGTOX.  Air.  E.  J.  Hermans.  Glencoc.  Wash- 
ington, writes  : 

"We  have  a  heavy  growth  of  timber  and  brush,  so  dense  that  the 
brush  of  other  countries  in  comparison  is  mere  nothing.  To  clear  this 
land  for  farming  costs  from  $50.00  to  $200.00  per  acre.  We  also  have 
a  large  amount  of  land  that  is  not  good  for  farming  but  that  raises  two 


Note — The  pamphlet  referred  to  by  Mr.  Jastremski,  is  beautifully 
illustrated,  and  contains  very  full  information  respecting  every  parish  in 
the  State.  There  appears  to  be  considerable  quantity  of  U.  S.  land 
that  is  subject  to  preemption  in  many  of  the  Counties;  and  a  great  deal 
belonging  to  private  individuals  that  can  be  purchased  as  low  as  $1.00 
per  acre. 


j;o2  A  Ncxv  Industry. 

varieties  of  brush  known  here  as  salal,  and  huckleberry,  both  evergreen 
and  peculiar  to  this  country,  which  cannot  be  made  to  produce  anything 
without  great  expense,  can  be  made  to  yield  a  fine  revenue  with  goats.  I 
would  not  stock  such  land  to  kill  the  brush,  but  just  enough  to  keep  the 
range  permanent.  I  am  enthusiastic  on  the  subject.  The  only  trouble 
I  have  heard  of  with  goats  here  is  'foot-rot,'  and  that  only  occurs  in  the 
bottom  lands.  The  class  of  lands  I  have  mentioned  is  never  muddy, 
and  would  therefore  be  free  from  this  trouble." 

Mr.  Jno.  S.  Harris,  Oakley,   Idaho,  says: 

"There  are  a  great  many  difficulties  to  contend  with  in  this  section; 
yet,  in  a  measure,  it  is  the  climate,  in  my  opinion,  that  is  likely  to 
make  the  mohair  goat  hold  out  the  longest  in  producing  a  fleece  similar 
to  that  of  its  native  land. 

"I  think  Texas  climate  will   cause  .1  deterioration  in  the  fleece. 

"I  am  confident  we  can  compete  with  South  Africa  or  Turkey  in 
raising   mohair. 

"I  think  perhaps  Colorado  is  the  best  all-round  State  to  raise  the 
Angora  goat  in.  Oregon  is  going  to  raise  a  great  deal  of  mohair,  and 
it  is  of  a  very  fine  character;  very  similar  to  that  of  Angora. 

A  very  complete  write-up  on  Colorado,  Oregon,  Dakota, 
Montana,  Idaho,  Washington,  Utah,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona 
appears  in  the  report  of  the  U.  S.  Depaitment  of  Agriculture, 
for  1869,  pages  602  to' 623. 

And,  Mr.  Almont  Barnes,  of  the  Division  of  Statistics, 
makes  the  following  interesting  statement  concerning  "Avail- 
able pasturage  for  goats,"  in  the  year-book  for  1898,  of  that 
Department,  on  pages  425  and  426 : 

AVAILABLE   PASTURAGE. 

"Relative  to  areas  suitable  for  goat  keeping  upon  any  scale,  from  a 
few  for  milk  or  cheese  to  large  flocks  for  their  fleeces  or  skins,  it  may 
be  confidently  asserted  that  wherever  there  is  a  suitable  climate  there 
are  also  suitable  uncultivated  lands.  Over  42  per  cent,  of  the  land  in 
farms  in  the  United  States  is  unimproved;  how  much  of  it  is  unculti- 
vatable,  is  unknown.  The  total  unimproved  land  amounts  to  265,600,000 
acres,  against  more  than  375,600,000  improved.  This  presents  a  vast 
field  for  selection  of  favored  localities  in  every  part  of  the  country; 
and  much  of  the  field  invites  the  primitive  occupation  of  herding,  which 
preceded  and  prepared  the  way  for  agriculture  in  many  countries,  with  in- 
estimable benefit  to  the  soil. 


Where  to  Raise  the  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Adz'aiitage.      joj 

"It  is  true  that,  considerable  portions  of  the  unimproved  farm  land  is 
in  valuable  forests,  which  invite  preservation  as  such  for  various  eco- 
nomic reasons;  but  it  is  equally  true  that  a  large  proportion  is  usless 
as  a  present  or  prospective  timber  reserve,  and  can  be  utilized  only  in 
some  way  as  is  herein  suggested.  In  the  aggregate,  millions  of  acres 
of  poor,  rough,  rocky,  or  bushy  land,  distributed  through  all  the  States, 
call  for  subjugation  and  enrichment  through  animal  occupation,  prefer- 
ably of  the  goat,  which  would  not  only  destroy  the  growth  that  invites 
recurrent  conflagrations,  but  would  result  ultimately  in  the  introduction 
of  nutritious  grasses. 

"In  order  to  present  the  areas  of  unimproved  land  in  farms  in  true 
relation  with  the  improved  and  to  show  the  farms  of  which  they  are  a 
part,  and  at  the  same  time  the  wide  basis  upon  which  the  interest  herein 
considered  may  be  established,  reference  may  be  made  to  the  report  on 
agriculture  of  the  Eleventh  Census. 

"The  State  of  Maine,  for  instance,  has  6,000,000  acres  in  farms,  of 
which  3,000,000,  or  50  per  cent.,  are  impr(A-ed  and  an  equal  number  un- 
cultivated; there  are  62,000  farms  therein,  averaging  100  acres  each. 
A  logal  deduction  is  that,  there  are  about  62,000  farmers  in  ]\Iaine  who 
have,  on  an  average,  50  acres  each  of  unimproved  land.  Observation 
shows  that  portions  of  such  land  are  useless  for  farming  purposes,  and 
often  are  in  extended  areas  defined  by  natural  limits.  They  are,  how- 
ever, well  adapted  to  goat  herding  even  when  good  for  nothing  else, 
and  would  almost  invariably  be   made  better  thereby. 

"Relative  to  Georgia,  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  an  acreage  in 
farms  of  over  25,000,000,  of  which  9,500.000  are  improved,  and  over  15,- 
500,000,  or  nearly  02  per  cent.,  unimproved,  with  171,000  farms,  and  an 
average  of  147  acres  to  the  farm.  The  evidence  of  the  former  commis- 
sioner of  agriculture  of  that  Sta.te  as  to  the  fitness  of  its  mountain  lands 
for  goats  of  the  Angora  breed  has  been  cited,  and  the  same  holds  good 
over  most  of  the  other  lands  in  the  State  for  the  common  goat,  including 
the  average  of  73%  acres  per  farm  of  unimproved  land.  Similarly,  the 
lesson  may  be  applied  to  each  State,  according  to  fitness,  without  material 
change. 

"There  is,  however,  in  the  United  States  a  large,  continuous  area, 
embracing  over  one-third  of  the  States  and  Territories,  which  invites 
particular  attention  in  connection  with  this  subject.  It  includes  the 
South  Atlantic  and  South  Central  divisions  and  a  part  of  the  Western 
division  of  the  Census   groupings,    *   or   twenty    States   and    Territories, 


*South  Atlantic  division,  Delaware,  Maryland,  District  of  Columbia, 
Virginia,  West  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Flor- 
ida; South  Central  division,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  Texas,  Oklahoma,  Arkansas;  Western  division,  Montana, 
Wyoming,  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Utah,  Nevada,  Idaho, 
Washington,  Oregon,  California. 


^?07  A   Nm'  ludiisfry. 

which,  together,  contain,  nearly  28.").()(»0,OUO  acres  in  farms,  of  which 
over  1'22,000,000  are  improved  and  over  1()2, 000,000,  or  57  per  cent.,  unim- 
proved. The  average  size  of  farms  and  the  average  amounts  of  unim- 
proved land  are  greater  in  this  area  than  elsewhere,  and  the  climatic  con- 
ditions are  more  imiform. 

"This  area  includes  nearly  all  the  central,  and  a  part  of  the  western 
nunmtain  regions,  and  lies  principally  within  the  belt  of  at  least  little  or  no 
snow.  It  is  in  general  the  most  temperate  region  of  a  temperate  zone, 
antl  peculiarly  suitable  for  wintering  all  kinds  of  farm  and  range  stock 
not  only  as  to  climate,  but  as  to  subsistence.  It  furnishes  an  abundance  of 
such  forage  as  is  suitable,  and  preferable  for  goats,  available  to  them,  in 
most  parts  during  the  entire  year.  Under  such  circumstances  and  con- 
ditions whatever  profit  can  be  derived  from  herding  them  comes  nearest 
to  a  net  profit.  There  is  the  additional  incidental  benefit  that  whatever 
foul  land  is  regularly  pastured  by  these  animals  for  a  few  years  becomes 
clean,  weedless,  and  brushless,  and  usually,  being  evenly  fertilized  by 
them  also,  runs  into  nutritious  native  grasses." 

The  following"  article,  taken  from  the  "Montana  Stockman 
and  Farmer,"  of  January  1st,  1899,  will  be  interesting: 

ANCxORA     GOATS     IN     MONTANA 

"Little  attention  has  been  paid  to  raising  Angora  goats  in  Montana. 
Some  years  ago  a  small  band  was  brought  into  Beaver  County  and 
turned  loose  near  Dillon.  No  attention  was  paid  to  them.  They  were 
sold  a  few  at  a  time  to  a  butcher,  some  of  them  died  and  others  were 
lost,  and  finally  the  band  disappeared.  Another  small  band  at  a  later 
date  was  taken  to  the  vicinity  of  White  Sulphur  Springs  and  turned 
loose,  being  finally  sold  to  the  butcher  because  they  liked  to  stay  in 
town  too  well  and  would  not  keep  out  on  the  range.  Another  small 
band  was  turned  out  in  Madison  County.  They  kept  in  the  mountains, 
became  wild,   and  were  supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  hunters. 

"The  only  person,  as  far  as  we  can  learn,  who  has  made  a  business 
of  running  goats  in  Montana  is  Mr,  H.  A.  Brannin,  of  Marysville.  He 
keeps  the  goats  in  the  mountains  about  a  mile  below  Empire.  Last 
winter  he  had  about  450  and  he  brought  them  through  without  feed- 
ing hay.  He  says,  however,  that  it  would  have  been  better  if  they  had 
had  a  little  hay,  but  he  would  not  have  required  to  exceed  four  tons. 
With  that  amount  they  would  have  come  through  the  winter  in  excellent 
shape.  As  it  was,  they  were  a  little  thin,  but  none  died.  During  the 
heavy  snows  of  March  they  waded  through  snow  up  to  their  backs  to 
reach  the  brush  and  fir  trees  that  were  ctit  down  for  them  to  feed  upon. 


Where  to  Raise  the  Angora  Goat  to  Greatest  Advantage.      J03 

Under  this  treatment  none  of  them  died.  According  to  Mr.  Branniii'r, 
experience  the  goats  are  much  hardier  than  sheep,  and  will  stand  a 
hard  winter  with  less  care.     They  will  also  live  on  much  coarser  food'. 

"Mr.  Brannin  was  in  the  goat  business  in  New  Mexico,  and  is 
enthusiastic  on  the  possibilities  of  the  goat  industry  m  Montana.  He 
believes  it  to  be  much  more  profitable  than  sheep  raising.  He  says 
the  goats  shear  heavier  here  than  they  do  in  New  Mexico  and  Texas, 
and  also  that  they  attain  greater  size.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that 
this  is  also  true  of  sheep,  and  that  cattle  also  attain  a  greater  size  here. 
He  also  claims  that  goats  arc  more  prolific  than  sheep,  and  that  the 
kids  are  easier  to  raise  than  lambs.  Goats  are  certainly  much  easier 
to  handle  than  sheep.  The  kids  can  be  kept  in  the  corral  in  the  morn- 
ing and  the  old  ones  turned  out  and  let  go  by  themselves,  and  the 
latter  will  come  home  in  the  evening  like  cows.  The  life  of  a  gcat  is 
two  or  three  times  that  of  a  sheep — a  consideration  in  estimating 
profit. 

"Coyotes  may  occasionly  get  a  goat  if  it  strays  from  a  flock,  but  in 
a  band  they  are  well  able  to  take  care  of  themselves,  so  far  as  the 
coyotes  are  concerned.  Mr.  Brannin  has  not  lost  half  a  dozen  in  two 
years, and  they  have  run  alone  in  the  mountains  where  coyotes  are 
plentiful." 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

WHERE    THE   ANGORA  GOAT   CAN    BE    PURCHASED,    WITH    STATE- 
MENTS   FROM    BREEDERS   ABOUT    THE    SHEARING 
CAPACITY    OF    THEIR   GOATS. 

Realizing  that  very  few  people,  not  engaged  in  breeding 
the  Angora  goat,  have  any  knowledge  as  to  where  such  stock 
can  be  purchased,  I  decided  to  send  out  the  followmg  list  of 
(juestions  to  a  number  of  breeders  in  the  different  States : 

1.  What  is  the  average  shearing  capacity  of  your  goats? 

2.  What  is  the  length  of  the  staple  of  your  mohair? 

3.  What  will  your  wethers  and  does  weigh? 

The  following  is  a  tabulated  list  of  the  replies  received: 
and,  following  this,  will  be  found  a  more  particular  reference 
to  the  character  of  the  animals  by  the  breeders  themselves. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  these  represent  the  average 
shearing  of  the  Angoras  in  the  United  States,  as  there  are  many 
breeders  who  have  only  commenced  grading  up  the  common 
goat  within  the  past  few  years,  and  have  not  reached  a  very 
high  grade.  Others  have  been  using  very  ordinary  bucks,  and 
cannot  possibly  increase  their  shearing  capacity  very  rapidly. 

The  breeders  I  have  selected,  have  been  engaged  in  the  bus- 
iness for  a  number  of  years,  or  have  purchased  flocks  from 
others  who  have,  and  they  will  serve  as  a  fair  index  to  the 
Angora  in  this  country,  where  reasonable  care  and  attention  has 
been  used  for  a  period  of  years;  and,  judging  from  the  exper- 
ience of  the  past,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  a  shearing  capacity 
of  twelve  pounds  for  wethers,  and  eight  pounds  for  does,  is 
likely  to  be  a  very  common  yield  within  the  next  twenty-five 
vears. 


308 


No 

■^ 

No 

,. 

No.  3 

ing 

Mohair 

Live 
Weight 

Dressed 
Weight 

State 

X 

p 

u 

li 

ii 

(DJ= 
5" 

P 

.4" 

Bkkbuek'.s  Address 

5 
6 
4 

4 
5 
6 
4 
9 
4 
4 
6 
4 
3 
8-1(1 

gl 

6 

4@8 

3 

4!/2 
3V4 

4/2 

3 
3 
4 
3 
6 
3 
3 
5 
3 
o 

4 
5 
3@5 

12 
13 
13 
13 
13 
12 
12 

7 

8 

9 
10 
14 

8 

6i4 
13H 
15 

12 
12 
15 

12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
6 

7 
12 
12 

8 
12 

12 
12 
12 

ioo 

130 

"m 

90 

60 

'eo' 

45 

■45 

John  Brown,  Sonora. 

Jeff  Pepper,  Rock  Springs. 

D.  Ci.  .\verv,  Marathon. 

K.  H.  Lowry,  Camp  San  Saba. 

Texas. 

100 

"96 

90 
105 

"60 

'126 
90 
100 
80 
100 
100 
100 

75 

65 
65 

85 

'■56 

■95 
75 
75 
60 
80 
85 
75 

70 



'56' 

Doughter  &  Luttrell,  Lipan. 

W.  W.  Haupt.  Kyle. 

J.  M.  Arnold.  Montell. 

G.  W.  Baylor.  Montell. 

TomS.  Evans,  Exile. 

0.  Dissler,  Juno. 

H    T    Fuchs  Tiger  Mill 

48 

30 

H.  W.  Galbraith,  Montell. 
Jas.  Patterson.  Junction  City. 
W.  M.  Landrum,  Laguna. 
R.  H.  W'yait.  Sonora. 
Henry  Fink,  Leon  Springs. 
W.  li.  Hughes,  Hastings. 
W.  R  McKee,  Junction  City. 
Rev  D.  S.  Babb,  Sonora. 

4 
6 

m 

5 
6V4 

4% 
5 

3U 
4 

3@4 
4 

r 

5 
4 

ir» 

12 
12 

75 
100 

48 
80 

Scott  Obve.  No    Yamhill. 
Geo.  A.  Houck.  Eugene. 
Frank  H.  Rogers,  Gardner. 

11 

10 
10 

iiv. 

12 
10 
13 
10 

12^2 

12 

12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 

A.  Blackburn,  No.  Yamhill. 
J.  M.  Hassler,  Larwood. 

Oregon. 

185 

145 

0.  Dowell,  Florence. 
N.  Woodward,  Dallas. 

Mr.  Masters,  Cleveland, 

W.  L.  Claggett,  Salem. 
Oscar  Tom,  Angora. 
Jas.  McDonald.  Morrison. 

D.  A.  Walker,  Carlton. 

No.  1.   1 

Shear-     No   2. 
ing.     1  Mohair 

No 
Live 
Weight. 

.3 

Dressed 
Weight. 

STATE. 

2 

V  — 

sl 

11 

1 

ll 

Breeders  address. 

6 
6 
5 

6 

4 
4 

4 
4 
3 
3'/, 

5 

4 
3 

4 
4 

2'/2 

3Vs 

2y2 

21/2 

3V4 

13 
13 

8 
12 

io" 

6 

16" 

8 

9 
13 

12 
12 

12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 

6 
12 
12 

100 
165 

ioo 

100 

80 
120 

80 

Philo  Ogden.  Upper  Laka. 
Conklin  Bros.,  Newville. 
Wm.  Richter,  Ico. 
Jacob  Oakes,  Paskenta. 
E.  L.  Maize,  Upper  Lake. 
C.  P.  Bailey,  San  Jose. 
E.  R.  Williams,  Redding. 
K.  J.  Linton,  Ager. 
Jas    Wilder,  Paskenta. 

.3 

75 

"40' 

60 

o 

50 

40 

F.  G.  Smith.  Skaggs  Springs. 

Av'geof  flock. 
Av'ge  of  flock.. 

J.  M.  Wimmer.  Millville. 
Jos.  H.  Dunison.  Upper  Lake. 

6 
6 

5 
4 

4 

3^ 

E.  Weistrand.  Cooney. 
D.  C.  Taylor,  Lake  VaUey. 
J.  C.  Hightower,  Ruidosa. 
0.  D.  Nnrcnp.  Hepan 

New 

Mexico 

15 
11 
11 

12 
12 
'2 

120 

106 

50 
60 

40 

Iowa. 

7 
5 
4 
5 
5 

5 
4 
3 
3 
3 

13'/2 

10 
10 
14 
11 

12 
12 
12 

100 
100 
100 

80 
85 
75 

J.  K.  Standley,  Plaiteville. 
S.  S.  McKibben.  Earlham. 
I.  J.  Booth,  Cresco. 
Morgan  &  Morgan,  f;!ny. 
.1    C.  Morton.  India.nola. 

100 

75 

Arizona. 

4 
4 
4 

2'/, 

3 

lit 

m 

12 
12 
6 

8 

12 
12 
12 
12 

50 
55 

35 

40 

J.  F  Holder,  Pays  .n 
J.  R.  Barnette.  Globe. 
Ira  Harper.  Clifton. 
Wm.  Horn.  Camp  Verde. 

40 

35 

Montana. 

5 
.5 

3 

3/= 

11 
9 

12 

65 
65 

45 
45 

S.  S.  Brannin,  Marysville. 
T.  Glome  Miles,  Silver  Bend. 

9 

6 

.2 

7 

J,  H.  Harris.  Oakley. 

Wasbingfn 

8 

6 

13 

12 

55 

40 

Dr.  Tuttle,  Tacoma. 

Wyoming. 

6/» 

4 

13 

12 

140    130 

Cliris.  Nil'.soii.  Burlington. 

Utah. 

334 

214 

1.1 

12 

8, 

70 

.... 

J.  K.  H  im'olin,  Kanab. 

.5 
.5 

4 
4 

12 
13 

12 
12 

Minnesota 

1.W 

125 

■i  he  Wilcox  Co  ,  Hugo. 

Kansas. 

7 

5i4 

12 

12 

100 

75 

R  C.  Johnston.  Lawrence. 

Missouri. 

7 

5 

8 

A.  Lippincut.  Sheridan. 

Oklahoma. 

5 

3 

13 

12 

100 

75 

.... 

J.  K.  YouUiT.   Woodward. 

Wei»t 

7 

5 

18 

12 

Connectic't 

5@7 

3@.. 

10 

12 

95 

75 

Jas.  A  Bill.  Bill  Hill 

North 
Carolina. 

1.. 

1 

'10        1,2       90 

65 

1... 

....|  Ln.favette  Holt,  nnrhns/ton. 

Sio  A  Nczv  Industry. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  reported  length  of  staple  varies 
from  six  to  eighteen-  inches,  and  that  weights  range  from  sixty 
pounds,  to  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  pounds. 

It  is  obvious  that  a  large  frame,  growing  a  long  staple,  is 
capable  of  producing  a  heavier  fleece  than  a  small  frame  growing 
a  short  staple ;  and,  it  is  well  for  breeders  to  note  these  partic- 
ular points  in  the   list   of  replies. 

I  would,  also  .call  attention  to  the  fact  that  some  breeders 
have  reported  six  and  seven  months'  shearing,  while  others 
have  reported  twelve ;  and,  some  have  given  the  dressed  weight 
of  their  animals,  while  others  have  given  the  live  weight,  all  of 
w^hich  should  be  taken  into  consideration. 

STATEMENTS     OF     BREEDERS     ABOUT     THE     SHEARING 
CAPACITY  OF  THEIR  GOATS. 

Mr.  Geo.  W.  Baylor,  Montell,  Uvalde  County,  Texas,  says : 

"I  have  three  hundred  and  forty  head  of  the  J.  S.  Harris  thorough- 
bred goats  and  I  think  they  have  no  superiors  in  the  world.  I  showed 
seven  of  these  goats  at  the  San  Antonio  fair  last  October  (1899)  and 
took  all  the  premiums  offered  except  one,  which  was  ofifered  upon  'the 
largest  number  exhibited  by  one  breeder." 

"Mr.  Harris  always  carried  off  the  ribbons  and  purses  in  California, 
before  he  moved  to  Idaho,  and  I  challenge  any  breeder  in  the  United 
States  to  show  anything  better,  either  in  weight  of  fleece,  fineness  of 
fibre,  or  general  appearance  of  the  animal.  My  goats  are  well  covered 
with  pure  mohair,  the  does  having  a  long  tuft  of  curly  hair,  nearly  cov- 
ering the  eyes,  which  is  as  pure  mohair  as  any  on  the  body — a  very 
strong  proof  of  purity  of  blood. 

"I  send  you  photographs  of  a  pair  of  two  grown  does,  with  three 
seven  months'  kids;  and,  two  grown  bucks,  with  one  grown  doe. 
The  old  buck  on  the  left  has  sheared  nine  pounds  at  seven  months' 
growth,  and  the  doe,  in  the  pen  of  five  to  the  right,  seven  at  seven 
month's  growth. 

"The  hair  shown  in  the  photograph  is  only  seven  months'  growth 
(October  10.  1899). 

"I  only  sell  bucks  and  the  prices  range  from  $50.00  to  $100.00, 
according  to  quality  of  the  animal. 

"The  other  grown  doe  in  the  group  of  five  sheared  six  and  one-half 
pounds  at  seven  months,  and  the  two  doe  kids  three  pounds  each,  and 
the  buck  kid  four  and  three-quarter  pounds. 


5    Sa 


|s 


o  2 
n  r= 


Statements  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Capaeity  of  Goats,  j/j 

"The  group  of  three,  the  big  buck  sheared  nine  pounds,  the  small 
buck  six  pounds,  and  the  doe  five  and  one-half  pounds,  at  seven 
months." 

Mr.  W.  G.  Hughes,  Hastings  P.  O.,  Kendall  County, 
writes : 

"Referring  to  my  flock  of  thoroughbred  Angora  goats,  I  would  state 
that  I  purchased  the  entire  flock  from  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  of  Hayes 
County,  some  years  ago,  and  have  since  tried  to  avoid  any  retrogression 
in  the  quality  of  the  stock  which  Col.  Haupt  deserves  great  credit  for 
having  brought  to  a  high  state  of  perfection.  I  have  shipped  bucks 
into  twenty-four  different  States  in  the  last  twelve  months  or  so,  from 
Washington  and  Idaho  in  the  Northwest,  to  New  York  and  Massachu- 
setts in  the  East,  and  as  far  South  as  Louisiana  and  Florida.  I  made 
an  exhibit  at  the  Omaha  Exposition  in  1898,  and  carried  of?  most  of  the 
premiums  that  were  offered,  and  I  can  conscientiously  say  there  are  no 
goats  in  the  United  States  that  are  any  freer  from  base  blood  than  my 
own.  I  have  been  breding  to  combine  a  strong  constitution  with  a  good, 
well  distributed   fieece   of   fine   mohair,   and   I   think   I    have   attained   it. 

"I  cannot  do  better  in  this  connection  than  by  giving  you  Col. 
Haupt's  reply  to  a  request  I  made  that  he  write  a  statement  as  to  the 
breeding  of  the  goats  while  in  his  hands,  which  is  as  follows: 

"  'Kyle,  Hays  County,  Texas,  April  5,  1899. 
"'Mr.   W.   G.   Hughes,   Hastings,  Texas: 

"  'Dear  Sir — I  got  all  my  pure  bloods  from  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  into  whose  hands  fell  the  original  flock  of  Angoras 
imported  by  Dr.   J.   B.   Davis,  of  South   Carolina,   in   1849. 

"  'These  were  the  finest  goats  ever  brought  here,  unless  others  have 
been  imported  in  recent  years.  Mr.  Peters  (who  died  in  1899)  made 
other  importations  of  which  he  sent  me  samples,  but  I  discarded  them. 
He  imported  some  greasy  fleeced  goats,  like  Merino  sheep,  and  sent 
me  samples  of  the  fleece  and  asked  my  opinion  of  them.  I  informed'  him 
the  fleece  was  no  finer,  and  after  the  grease  was  washed  out  it  was  no 
heavier,  and  that  all  the  difference  I  could  see  in  it  was  the  extra 
trouble  of  scouring  the  fleece.     We  discarded  them. 

"  T  wrote  to  Kitching  &  Bicknell,  of  Nevv  York,  if  I  could  find 
a  billy  from  any  flock  in  California,  or  elsewhere,  that  would  increase 
the  weight  of  my  fleece,  without  detriment  to  its  fineness.  They  said 
I  could  not.  And  under  date  of  December  17,  1888,  they  wrote  me 
about  my  six  months'  clip  as  follows: 

'  "It  is  the  best  lot  we  have  had  this  season.  We  sold  a  lot  today, 
not  as  good  as  yours,  for  thirty-  three  and  one-third  cents  and  yours 
will  go  to  thirty-five  cents.  We  can  get  a  fancy  price  for  yours,  as 
it  is  fine,  clean,  silky  and  lustrous,  and  of  good  length."  ' 


314 


A  New  Industry. 


"  'Mr.   spoke   so   much   of   his   large   yield   and   fine   fleece, 

that  I  ordered  one  of  his  billies.     I  reshipped  it  back  to  him. 

'■  'So  my  pure  bloods,  ab  initio,  till  the  day  I  sold  them  to  you, 
have  been  bred  by  me  with  most  scrupulous  care,  and  no  foreign  matter 
mixed  into  them,  and  I  can  truthfully  say  their  blood  is  perfectly  pure, 
if  it  left  Asia  IVlinor  pure;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  this  can  be  said  of  many 
other  flocks   in   the   United    States. 

"  "Respectfully, 

"  'WM.   W.   HAUPT.'  " 


THOROUGHBRED  ANGORA  BUCK, 


"  'P.  S.— At  one  time  I  paid  Col.  Peters  eight  hundred  dollars  ($8u0) 
for  seven  nannies  and  a  billy,  but  that  was  ten  or  fifteen  years  after 
I  moved  to  this  place.  "  'W.   W.   H.'  " 

Mr.  W.  R.  McKee,  Jtinction  Cily,  Kimble  Cotinty,  writes  : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  from  the  Parish  ttock  i.i  ).-.■_'. 

"My  does  average  five  pounds  and  wethers  seven  pounds.  Weight 
of  carcass,  100  pounds  for  wethers  and  eighty-five  for  does.  Have  used 
bucks  of  the  finest  kind  I  could  procure. 


Statcininfs  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Capacity  of  Goats.  5/5 

"Many  of  my  best  does  shear  over  six  pounds  and  these   I  always 
select  for  my   stud   flock. 

"My  price  for  males  has  been  $15.00  to  $•25.00 

"Many  of  my  goats  hold  their  fleece  very  late  in  the  spring,  and  1 
have  some  that  do  not  shed  at  all. 

Mr.  Jeff.  Pepper,  Rock  Springs,  Edwards  County,  writes : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  from  pure-blooded  stock  raised  by 
W.  D.   Parish,  of  Texas. 

PL.4TE  XXVI. 


THOROUGHBRED  THREE-YEAR-OLD   DOE. 

Bred  and  raised  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Hughes,  Hastings,  Kendall  County,  Texas,  out  of  •■  Haiipt " 

Koats.  showing  eight  months'  fleece. 

"The  average  of  my  flock  is  four  and  one-half  pounds  for  does 
and  six  for  wethers,  but  I  have  a  number  of  does  that  shear  as  high 
as  six,  and  over,  which  I  always  select  for  my  stud  flock. 

"My  goats  weigh  100  pounds  for  wethers  and  eighty  pounds  for  does. 
The  staple  of  mohair  is  thirteen  'inches,  very  fine  and  curly. 

"My  price  for  bucks  is  $25.00,  and  does  $10.00." 

Mr.  John  Brown,  Sonora,  Sutton  County,  writes : 
"My  flock  of   goats,   consisting  of  about  three   thousand   head,   was 
started   about   fifteen   years   ago    from   pure-bred   bucks   purchased   from 


J7(5  A  Ncii.'  Industry. 

Col.  W.  W.  Haupt;  and,  of  late  years,  I  liave  been  breeding  some  of  my 
finest  does  for  bucks  which  I  have  sold  from  $15.00  to  $25.00,  according 
to   quality. 

"The  shearing  of  my  entire  flock  will  average  three  pounds  for  does 
and  five  for  wethers,  but  I  have  many  does  that  will  shear  as  high  as 
six  pounds,  and  have  had  some  kids  that  shear  four  and  one-half 
pounds. 

"The  character  of  my  mohair  is  fine  in  fibre  and  about  twelve  inches 
in  length. 

"I  have  always  found  ready  sale  for  all  the  bucks  that  I  have  raised, 
and  they  appear  to  have  given  great  satisfaction." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Arnold,  Montell,  Uvalde  County,  writes : 
"Our  flock   of   goats   was   founded   on   the   W.    D.    Parish    stock.    I 

send  you  photographs  of  two  bucks  that  were  twenty-one  months  old, 

and  had  their  second  fleece  about  nine  months,  and  sheared  ten  pounds 

and  eleven  pounds  good  mohair. 

"We  select  only  our  heaviest  shearing  does  to  breed  for  bucks,  which 

we  have  been  selling  at  $25.00  per  head. 

"The  weight  of  our  bucks  range  from  eighty  to  ninety  pounds,  and 

does  sixty  to  seventy  pounds." 

]\Ir.  W.  M.  Landrum,  Laguna,  Texas,  writes : 

"My  flock  of  pure-bred  Angoras  was  originally  started  from  the 
'Peters'  stock.  My  does  shear  from  five  pounds  to  eight  pounds  of 
pure  mohair  per  head.  I  always  make  a  selection  of  my  finest  and  heav- 
iest shearing  does  to  breed  for  bucks,  which  generally  shear  eight 
pounds  to  ten  pounds  per  head. 

"The  weight  of  my  bucks  vary  from  eighty  pounds  to  100  pounds; 
does  from  seventy,  to  eighty,  pounds. 

"My  prices  range  for  bucks  from  $40.00  up  to  $300.00;  and  for  does 
from  $50.00  to  $100.00  per  head." 

Rev.  D.  S.  Babb,  Sonora,  Sutton,  County,  Texas,  writes: 

"My  flock  of  Angoras  was  started  twenty-five  years  ago  from 
goats  that  came  from  Col.  Richard  Peters,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  I 
have  used   'Landrum'   bucks   since,   more   or  less. 

"My  does  shear  from  three  pounds  to  five  pounds;  wethers  from  four 
pounds  to  eight  pounds;  kids  from  two  pounds  to  four  pounds. 

"Weight  of  wethers  100  pounds;  does  seventy-five  pounds. 

"Mohair  well  covered  over  the  chest,  body  and  belly,  measuring 
from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches. 

"My  price  for  bucks  ranges  from  $10.00  to  $50.00,  according  to 
individual  qualities." 


Statements  of  Breeders  About  SJiearing  Capacity  of  Goats,  jip 

Mr.  Henry  Fink,  Leon  Springs,  Texas,  writes : 

"Our  flock  of  pure-bred  goats  originated  from  the  W.  D.  Parish 
goats  whose  entire  flock  we  purchased  when  he  retired  from  the  business 
nearly  twenty  years  ago.  We  have  made  a  practice  of  raising  bucks 
for  breeding  purposes,  and  have  been  selling  them  at  the  rate  of  $20.00 
each;  and  breeding  does,  $15.00. 

"The  shearing  capacity  of  our  bucks  range  generally  between  six 
and  seven  pounds,  and  the  does  three  and  one-half  to  four  pounds. 
Staple  of  mohair  eleven  inches." 

Mr.  H.  T.  Fuchs,  Tiger  A/[ill,  Texas,  writes : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  in  1882  from  pure-bred  bucks  pur- 
chased from  Col.  Robt.  W.  Scott,  of  Kentucky. 

"I  have  bred  them  with  great  care  for  density  of  fleece,  and  fineness 
of  fibre. 

"My  does  shear  five  pounds  and  weigh  fifty  pounds  gross.  The 
staple  of  mohair  hangs  in  long  ringlets  from  ten  to  twelve  inches. 

"My  prices  have,  heretofore,  been  $15.00  to  $25.00  for  bucks,  accord- 
ing to  quality." 

Hon.  Robt.  H.  Lowrey,  Camp  San  Saba,  Texas,  writes : 

"My  goats  were  started  from  the  'Peters'  stock  in  1875,  and  I  added 
some  'Parish'  stock  up  to   1879. 

"I  have  made  a  practice  of  selecting  my  best  does  for  bree%mg 
bucks,  which  I  have  always  found  sale  for. 

"My  present  prices  range  from  $10.00  to  $15.00  for  does,  and  $15.00 
to  $25.00  for  bucks. 

"The  staple  of  my  mohair  is  twelve  to  fourteen  inches.  Weight  of 
animal  about  sixty  pounds  net  for  males." 

Mr.  Robt.  H.  Wyatt,  Sonora,  Sutton  County,  writes : 

"I  purchased  my  first  bucks  from  the  Rev.  D.  S.  Babb  flock  of 
goats,  in  this  State,  and  have  used  great  care  in  my  selections  ever 
since.  Have  always  selected  them  from  flocks  well  known  for  purity 
of  blood. 

"My  does  shear  three  and  one-half  pounds;  wethers  four  and  one- 
half  to  eight  pounds. 

"Weight  of  my  goats  is  about  100  pounds  for  wethers  and  seventy- 
five  pounds   for   does. 

"I  sell  bucks  at  $10.00  to  $25.00,  and  does  $5.00  to  $10.00." 

Mr.  H.  W.  Galbraith,  Montell,  Texas,  writes: 

"My  first  pure-bred  bucks  were  of  the  Xandrum'  stock,  and  I  have 
since  used  some  'Divine'  and  'Harris  &  Baylor'  goats. 


^20  A  Nezv  Industry. 

"The  average  of  my  flock  is  four  pounds  for  wethers,  three  pounds 
for  does,  and  two  pounds  for  kids,  but  I  l^ave  many  individual  goats  that 
will  shear  much  above  these  weights." 

Messrs.  Doug-hten  &   Luttrell,   Lipan,  '^exas,   writes: 

"Our  flock   of  goats  was   started   in   1881. 

"The  average  shearing  capacity  of  the  does  is  three  pounds,  but 
many  will  go  much  above  this  weight. 

"The  males  weigh  close  to  100  pounds,  and  females  about  seventy- 
five  pounds. 

"The  staple  of  mohair  is  fine  and  measures  about  twelve  inches  in 
length. 

"We  sell  breeding  bucks  at  $20.00  and  does  $5.00." 

Mr.  Tom.  S.  Evans,  Exile  P.  O.;  Texas,  writes: 

"I  purchased  my  full-blood  goats  from  W.  M.  Landrum  in  1885. 

"My  flock  averages  three  pounds  for  does  and  four  for  wethers, 
but  quite  a  good  many  will  do  much  better. 

"My  staple  of  mohair  is  nine  inches  with  a  growth  of  six  months. 

"My  does  weigh  eighty-five  pounds. 

"I  have  not  made  a  practice  of  raising  bucks  for  breeding  purposes 
but  can   recommend   W.    M.    Landrum   stock." 

Mr.  D.  G.  Avery,  Marathon,  Texas,  writes : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  by  F.  Garst  from  goats  purchased 
from  C.   P.    Bailey,  of  San  Jose,   Cal. 

"The  average  of  does  is  three  and  one-half  pounds. 

"Staple  of  mohair  thirteen  inches  in  length. 

"Weight  of  animals  130  pounds  for  male  and  ninety  pounds  for 
female. 

"My  prices  are  $25.00  for  bucks  and  $5.00  to  $15.00  for  does." 

Mr.  J-  W.  Garrett,  Mountain  Home,  Texas,  writes : 

"My  flock  was  started  from  'Fink'  goats  and  I  have  since  added 
to  them  a  lot  of  'Divine'  goats. 

"Have  never  paid  very  strict  attention  to  breeding  for  bucks.  I 
sell  my  choice  bucks  at  $10.00,  and  does  at  $5.00. 

Col.  B.  L.  Crouch,  Pearsail,  Texas,  writes : 

"I  am  not  engaged  in  breeding  Angoras  at  the  present  time,  but 
feel  a  very  deep  interest  in  the  industry.  I  bred  them  with  considerable 
satisfaction  and  profit  from   1872  to   1893." 


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SfafciHcnfs  of  Breeders  About  Sheariiig  Capacity  of  Goats.  S23 

Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  Kyle,  Texas : 

"I  sold  all  my  goats  to  Mr.  W.  G.  Hughes,  of  Hastings  P.  O., 
Texas,  in  1893." 

Mr.  O.  Dowell,*  Florence,  Oregon,  writes: 

"My  goats  weigh  heavy — 185  pounds  for  bucks,  and  145  pounds  for 
does,  gross. 

"The  does  shear  between  two  and  one-half  and  three  pounds,  and 
wethers   five   pounds,    of   eleven   and   one-half   inch   mohair. 

"I  do  not  raise  bucks  for  sale,  but  can  recommend  Geo.  A.  Houck, 
of  Eugene,  and  Oscar  Tom,   Angora,   Oregon." 

Mr.  T.  H.  Hawley,  Monmouth,  Oregon,  writes : 

"Our  goats  shear  four  pounds  for  does  and  seven  pounds  for  wethers 
but  many  will  go  above  this. 

"We  sell  bucks  at  $10.00  and  does  $5.00." 

!\Ir.  W .  .D.  Claggett,  Salem,  Oregon,  writes  : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  with  bucks  from  the  'Eutichides' 
importation  in  1867. 

"My  does  shear  from  four  to  six  pounds  and  have  a  staple  twelve 
to  fourteen  inches  in  length. 

"I  have  been  selling  breeding  bucks  at  $25.00.  My  goats  are  exceed- 
ingly fine  wooled,  but  are  not  large  in  frame." 

Mr.  N.  Woodward,  Dallas,  Polk  County,  Oregon,  writes : 

"I\Iy  docs  range  from  three  pounds  to  six  pounds  of  mohair,  twelve 
inches  long. 

"I  sell  breeding  bucks  from  $10.00  to  $25.00,  and  does  at  $5.00  to 
$10.00,  according  to  quality." 

Mr.   Scott  Obye,    North   Yamhill,    Oregon,   writes : 

"My  flock  of  Angora  goats  averages  four  and  three-fourths  pounds 
for  does,  and  five  and  three-fourths  pounds  for  wethers,  but  I  have  many 
does  that  shear  as  high  as  seven  and  seven  and  one-half,  and  have  had  one 
go  as  high  as  eight  pounds.  The  staple  of  my  mohair  measures  fourteen 
n,nd   one-half    inches    in    length. 

"I  have  been  selling  bucks  for  breeding  purposes  at  $20.00  to  $25.00, 
and  does  $10.00  to  $15.00,   according  to  quality." 


*Mr.  O.  Dowell  is  the  President  of  the  "Coast  Mohair  Asso- 
ciation," Florence,  Oregon,  of  which  Frank  H.  Rodgers,  Gardner, 
Oregon,  is  Secretary. 


S24  A  Nc'cv  Inciiisfry. 

Mr.  James  iSIcDonald.    Morrison,    Oregon,   writes : 

"My  flock  was  started  in  1883. 

"My  does  shear,  now,  an  average  of  five  pounds.  I  have  been 
breeding  for  bucks  and  sell  at  $10.00  per  head  for  both  bucks  and  does. 

"My  bucks  shear  from  seven  to  nine  and  one-half  pounds,  of  twelve 
inch  mohair,  and  have  had  some  go  as  high  as  thirteen  inches." 

Mr.  Oscar  Tom,  Angora,  Oregon,  writes : 

"I  have  been  raising  my  goats  chiefly  for  breeding  bucks,  which  I 
have  been  selling  at  $10.00,  and  my  culled  does  at  $5.00. 

"My  does  shear  lour  pounds  each  of  mohair,  eight  to  twelve  inches 
in  length." 

Mr.  D.  A.  Walker,  Carlton,  Oregon,  whites : 

"I  started  with  old  Spanish  goats  twenty-seven  years  ago.  My  does 
now  shear  very  near  flve  pounds  (4  14-16  pounds),  of  twelve  inch  mohair. 

"I  have  only  got  125  head,  as  I  have  made  a  practice  of  culling  out 
every  year,  picking  out  the  oldest  and  poorest  shearers. 

"I  do  not  sell  my  best  goats,  but  can  refer  buyers  of  breeding 
bucks   to   A.    Blackburn,    North   Yamhill." 

Mr. blasters,  Cleveland  Oregon,  says : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  by  my  father,  the  Rev.  C.  B. 
^Masters,  now  of  Coos  County.  He  was  an  old  breeder,  and  bred  them 
with  great  care  until  he  became  too  old  to  give  them  the  proper  atten- 
tion, when  he  sold  them  to  me. 

"They  were  originally  started  from  the  W.  M.  Landrum  goats,  of 
California,   in   1872. 

"My  does  shear  from  three  pounds  to  seven  pounds,  and  wethers 
from  five  to  eight  pounds;  staple  of  mohair  nine  to  eleven  inches. 

"I  have  only  paid  a  little  attention  to  breeding  for  bucks,  and  have 
sold  at  $10.00  to  $25.00  for  bucks,  and  $5.00  to  $15.00  for  does,  according 
to  quality." 

Mr.  A.  Blackbin-n,  North  Yamhill,  Oregon,  writes  : 

"My  flock  of  goats  was  started  from  goats  purchased  from  D.  C. 
Stewart  &  Son,  who  got  their  start  from  'Landrum.' 

"My  flock  shears  four  pounds  for  does,  and  six  pounds  for  wethers, 
but  I  have  many  that  will  go  much  over  this. 

"My   staple   is   eleven   inches   in   length. 


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Statements  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Ccpaeiiy  of  Goats  -  327 

"I  have  been  breeding  for  bucks,  which  I  sell  at  $10.00  up  to  $25.00, 
according  to  quality.     My  does  I  do  not  sell. 

"I  recently  purchased  a  buck  from  W.  G.  Hughes  &  Co.,  of  your 
State,  which  is  a  good  goat." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Hassler,  Larvvood,  Oregon  writes : 

"My  does  shear  from  three  to  four  pounds  of  mohair,  eight  to 
twelve  inches  in  length.  I  have  raised  some  breeding  bucks,  which 
sheared  from  seven  to  nine  pounds,  and  have  sold  all  the  way  from 
$8.00  to  $25.00,  according  to  quality.  I  will  give  you  a  statement  of 
my  experience  with  fifty  head  of  goats  purchased  in  April,  1895,  for 
$87.50: 

1895.  Sold,  mohair,  $31.40;  and  goats,  $35.00 $  66  40 

1896.  Sold,   mohair,   $60.35;   goats.   $22.75    83  10 

1897.  Sold,  mohair,  $45.15;  goats,  $60.00 105  15 

1898.  Sold,    mohair,    $83.70;    goats,    $23.00 106  70 

1899.  Sold,  mohair,  $93.60;  goats,  $209.50 303  12 


$664  47 
And  I  have  on  hand  still  78  head. 

Mr.  Geo.  A.  Houck,  Eugene,  Oregon,  writes : 

The  fiock  of  goats  which  I  now  own  was  started  originally  by  Mr. 
Ari  Cantrell  between  1860  and  1870,  who  was  the  pioneer  goat  breeder 
in  this    State. 

Mr.  Cantrell  purchased  about  150  head  of  three-fourths  to  seven- 
eighths  grades  from  Landrum  &  Butterfield  at  $12.50,  and  paid  $1500  for 
a  pure  blooded  buck  and  one  yearling  doe.  He  afterwards  purchased 
pure  bred  bucks  from  Landrum  &  Rogers  of  California.  He  bred  for 
fine  silky  fibre  and  his  best  goats  became  very  small  in  consequence, — as 
well  as  very  tender  and  delicate  in  constitution. 

My  father  purchased  his  entire  flock  in  1885,  and  put  with  them  two 
bucks  purchased  from  C.  P.  Bailey.  Mr.  Cantrell  showed  me  three 
does  he  said  were  direct  descendants  from  his  full  blood  doe  that,  he 
purchased  originally,  and  from  the  offspring  of  these,  bred  from  a 
"Bailey"  buck,  I  secured  a  buck  that  sheared  ten  and  a  half  pounds. 

"I  never  saw  a  better  breeder  than  he  was,  and  one  of  his  kids 
sheared  as  high  as  eleven  and  one-fourth  pounds  last  spring.  I  have 
never  ofifered  to  sell  any  goats  for  breeding  purposes  until  1897  and  have 
sold  since  then  at  $15.00  to  $25.00  according  to  quality. 

"I  keep  a  register  of  their  breeding.  I  am  breeding  for  carcass, 
constitiution  and  weight  of  fleece.  My  flock  consists  of  about  1500 
head." 


3^8  A  Ncxv  Industry. 

CALIFORNIA.     Philo  Ogden,  Upper  Lake,  Cal. : 

''I  started  my  flock  of  goats  with  full-blood  bucks  from  C.  P.  Bailey 
of  San  Jose  California. 

"My  does  average  five  pounds  and  wethers  seven.  ^ly  mohair  meas- 
ures thirteen  inches  in  length.  My  wethers  weigh  100  pounds  and  does 
eighty  pounds.  I  have  never  made  a  practice  of  raising  any  bucks  for 
sale,  but  intend  doing  so  in  the  future." 

Mr.  James  H.  Dunison,  L'pper  Lake,  Cal.,  writes : 

"My  does  average  four  pounds  and  wethers  five  pounds.  The  whole 
flock  will  average  three  and  a  half,  taking  in  the  kids.  The  staple  of  my 
mohair  is  thirteen  inches  long.  I  have  not  made  a  business  of  raising 
breeding  bucks,  but  can  recommend  W.  W.   Green  of  this  county." 

]\Iessrs.  Conklin  Bros.,  Newville,  Cal.,  writes: 

"Our  flock  of  thoroughbred  goats  was  started  with  three  does  and 
one  buck  imported  from  Turkey  by  Mr.  Eutichides,  in  1870  by  Mr.  Julius 
Weyand  (deceased)  who  purchased  them  from  Dr.  Cummings,  and  they 
afterwards  passed  into  our  possession,  and  have  been  kept  absolutely 
free  from  any  crossing  with  common  goats   ever  since. 

"Mr.  Weyand  was  a  highly  educated  man,  and  was  very  systematic 
in  all  his  work,  and  his  register  was  kept  up  with  great  care  and  exactness, 
which  we  have  continued  upon  the  same  system  as  he  inaugurated,  there- 
fore we  claim  our  flock  of  'thoroughbreds'  are  thoroughbred  indeed. 

"We  bred  one  buck  that  sheared  nine  pounds  in  the  fall,  and  three 
pounds  and  three  ounces  in  the  spring,  making  twelve  pounds  and  three 
ounces  for  the  twelve  months'  growth.  This  is  the  heaviest  goat  we 
ever  sheared.  From  six  to  nine  pounds  is  about  the  average  weight  of 
our  bucks,  more  of  them  the  heavier  than  the  lighter  weight.  Our  rec- 
ord of  breeding  is  so  systematic  that  we  can  select  and  tell  exactly  how 
each  goat  is  bred,   by  its  number. 

"We  have  a  large  flock  that  we  keep  no  record  of  that  appear  to 
be  as  fine  as  our  thoroughbreds.  We  have  made  a  business  of  selling 
bucks  for  breeding  purposes  at  from  $35  to  $50.  The  staple  of  our 
mohair  is  thirteen  inches  in  length.  Weight  of  males  165  and  females 
120.     We  think  our  thoroughbred  flock  has  no  superior  in  the  State." 

3,Ir.  Jas.  Wilder,  Paskenta,  Cal.,  writes : 

"I  have  been  in  the  goat  business  eleven  years  on  a  small  scale.  I 
never  had  over  450  head  on  my  place  at  one  time.  I  would  refer  you 
to  ]Mr.  W^m.  Harland  of  Williams  Station;  Conklin  Brothers  and  C. 
W.  Foreman,  both  of  Newville,  Glen  County,  and  John  Hull,  Croam- 
ville.  Glen  County,  who  are  all  breeders  of  Angora  goats." 


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Statciiiciifs  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Capacity  of  Goats.   ?■?/ 

Mr.  A.  Moon,  Ono,  Snasta  County,  Cal.,  writes  : 
"My  flock  was  started  with  pure  bred  bucks  purchased  from   Conk- 

lin  Brothers  of  Newville,  in  1895. 

"My   does   average   between   three   and   four   pounds   mohair,    six   tc 

eight  inches  long  at  six  months  cHp.     I  do  not  raise  bucks  for  breeding 

purposes,  but  can  recommend  Conklin  Brothers." 

Mr.  Jacob  Oaks,  Paskenta,  Cal.,  writes: 

"I  purchased  my  first  breeding  bucks  from  Conklin  Brothers  in 
1892  and  can  recommend  them.  I  am  a  general  farmer  and  I  do  not 
raise  goats  especially  for  breeding  purposes.  My  does  average  three 
pounds  and  wethers  five  pounds  of  twelve  inch  mohair. 

Mr.  E.  L.  Maze,  Upper  Lake,  Cal,  writes : 

"My  flock  of  Angoras  average  four  pounds  for  the  does  and  six 
pounds  for  wethers  .  but  many  individual  goats  will  shear  above  this 
average.  The  weight  of  our  wether  goats  is  100  ponds  a  d  does  seventy- 
five  pounds. 

"We  breed  and  sell  breeding  bucks  at  $50.00  and  does  at  $L'0.0(). 

Mr.  J.  M.  Wimnier,  Millville,  Cal.  writes: 

'My  band  of  goats  was  started  with  bucks  bought  from  J.  S.  Har- 
ris, now  of  Oakley,   Idaho. 

"I  started  in  1878  with  120  head  of  doe  kids,  about  three-fourths 
grades,  and  have  been  breeding  to  the  best  bucks  I  could  get.  I  have 
wethers  in  the  band  that  will  shear  eight  and  nine  pounds  and  does  that 
will  shear  live  and  six,  and  kids  that  will  shear  four;  but  three  pounds 
is  about   what   the   whole   band   will   average. 

"I  have  not  made  a  practice  of  breeding  bucks  for  sale." 

Mr.  C.  P.  Bailey,  San  Jose,  Cal.,  writes : 

"My  first  pure-blood  bucks  came  from  the  'Chenery'  importation  to 
Boston,  Massachusetts.  My  band  averages  four  pounds  for  does,  five 
and  a  half  for  wethers  and  two  for  kids,  but  I  have  many  individual 
goats  that  will  shear  much  heavier.  My  mohair  ranges  from  eight  to 
ten  inches.  I  have  made  importations  of  breeding  bucks  from  South 
Africa." 

"The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  Associated  Press  cables, 
with  reference  to  a  sample  of  mohair  grown  by  me,  which  I  sent  to 
Bradford,   England,   for  examination: 

"A  stir  has  been  caused  in  England  by  a  mohair  fleece  grown  in 
California,  and  it  is  stated  that  if  fleeces  of  the  same  uniform  quality  can 


jji>  A  Nczv  Industry. 

be  grown  there  the  triumph  of  the  United  States  as  a  mohair  producer 
is  assured.  The  American  grown  mohair  fleece  which  has  been  exhibi- 
ted for  the  past  week  was  forwarded  by  C.  P.  Bailey  of  San  Jose,  Cal. 
The  fleece  is  that  of  a  two-year-old  graded  doe  and  the  quality  of  the 
hair  has  been  the  wonder  of  all  who  have  seen  it." 

"One  of  the  leading  merchants,  in  commenting  on  it,  said: 
"I  have  now  in  my  warehouse  about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  mohair  both  Turkish  and  Cape,  and  I  am  entirely  sincere 
when  I  state  that  there  is  not  a  better  fleece  in  the  whole  lot.  I  will  buy 
all  the  American  mohair  like  that  at  the  market  price  and  I  do  not 
know  but  that  I  would  pay  more  than  the  market  price.  I  say  unhesi- 
tatingly that  the  sample  fleece  is  as  good  mohair  as  is  grown." 

Mr.  R.  J.  Linton,  Ager,  Cal.,  writes  : 

"I  breed  largely  for  breeding  purposes  and  sell  bucks  at  $50  and 
does  $50.     I  keep  up  a  register  of  my  pure-bred  flock." 

"My  band  of  goats  was  started  in  1883.  My  present  shearing  is 
three  and  a  half  pounds  for  does,  four  and  a  half  for  wethers  and  two 
and  a  half  for  kids.  Staple  of  mohair  six  inches  in  length.  I  sell  my 
best  shearing  bucks  at  $25  and  does  $15." 

Mr.  E.  Weistrand,  Cooney,  N.  M.,  writes: 

"The  average  shearing  of  my  Angoras  is  as  follows:  Does,  three 
to  five  pounds;  wethers,  five  to  seven  pounds;  kids,  two  and  a  half  to 
four   pounds. 

"I  do  not  make  a  practice  of  breeding  bucks  for  sale.  I  purchased 
four  bucks  from  J.  S.  Harris  of  Oakley,  Idaho  in  1897,  and  they  are 
the  best  I  have  seen  in  New  Mexico." 

]\Ir.  J.  C.  Hightower,    Rindosa,    N.    M.,   writes : 
"My   Angora   goats   average   four  pounds   for   does,   six   pounds   for 

wethers  and  two  pounds  for  kids.     Staple  of  mohair  eleven  inches. 

"My  price  for  bucks  is  $10.00  and  does  the  same.     My  bucks  shear 

about  seven  pounds." 

Mr.  D.  C.  Taylor,  Lake  Valley,  N.  M.,  writes : 

"I  commenced  the  goat  business  thirteen  years  ago.  I  was  dead 
broke  and  bought  ninety-nine  Mexican  does  on  time  at  $1.50  each. 
]My  first  bucks  came  from  J.  M.  Arnold,  of  Texas.  I  have  since  used  'C. 
P.  Bailey'  bucks  and  have  used  one  Xandrum'  buck.  I  now  have  about 
'2600  goats  (1100  does  and  1500  wethers  and  bucks).  They  are  all  extra 
good.  I  have  not  a  doe  that  will  shear  less  than  three  and  a  half  pounds 
up  to  six  and  a  half  pounds,  and  wethers  from  four  to  seven.  My  bucks 
sheared  last  spring  ten  pounds  each. 


81 

«  g 


Statcmoits  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Capaeily  of  Goafs.  JJ5 

"I  sell  bucks  at  $25  each  with  mohair  (not  dog  hair)  all  around  their 
eyes  and  face  and  down  to  the  hoofs,  that  I  think  will  make  eleven 
pounds,  bucks  at  two  years  old.     I  sold  twenty-two  bucks  last  fall. 

"My  bucks  have  five  or  six  inch  mohair  now  (July)  and  about  eight 
months  more  time  to  grow  before  shearing.  A  very  few  of  my  goats 
shed  any  which  I  think  is  a  big  thing. 

"I  think  the  possibilities  of  the  Angora  goat  are  as  great  as  the  sheep 
and  you  know  what  the  Americans  did  with  the  old  'Spanish  merino.' 
I  am  trying  to  get  on  top.  Have  nothing  else  to  do,  and  do  not  need 
any  money." 

PLATE  XXXII. 


YEARLING  ANGORA  BUCK. 
Lake  Valley.  N'ew  .Mexico,  showing  seven  months'  growth  of  mohair 


A.  D.  Norcop,  Sepan,  N.  M. : 

"My  first  bucks  came  from  C.  P.  Bailey.  My  does  shear  an  aver- 
age of  three  and  a  half  pounds,  wethers  five  and  a  half,  and  kids  two 
pounds.  Mohair  eleven  inches.  My  wethers  weigh  120  pounds.  I 
have  not  yet  sold  any  of  my  best  goats." 

The  Onderdonk  Live  Stock  Company,  Lamy,  N.  M.,  write : 


jj6  A  AVti'  Industry. 

"We  have  on  hand  at  the  present  time  8000  head  of  Mexican  goats 
and  about  1800  Angoras.  Have  only  started  with  Angoras  this  year 
(1900)  and  have  none  for  sale  as  yet." 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  Plattevillc,  Iowa,  writes : 

"I  became  interested  in  the  Angora  go  t  industry  in  18S)8.  My  first 
buck  came  from  the  Col.  Scott  flock  of  Kentucky,  and  I  have  since  pur- 
chased the  entire  flock  of  'Peters'  goats  from  the  estate  of  the  late  Col. 
Richard   Peters   of  Atlanta,    Georgia. 

"The  weight  of  my  wethers  is  about  100  pounds  and  for  does  eighty 
pounds.  Mohair  measures  thirteen  and  a  half  inches,  well  distributed 
over  the  body,  chest  and  belly.  I  send  a  photograph  of  some  of  the  does. 
My  price  for  bucks  ranges  from  $4<lOO  up,  and  from  $15  up  for  does, 
according  to  individual  merit." 

Mr.    S.    vS.    McKibben,    Earlliani,    Madison,    County,    Iowa, 
writes : 

"My  first  introduction  into  the  Angora  goat  business  was  in  1895. 
through  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of  this  State.  I  have  since  handled  goats 
largely  and  have  sold  upwards  of  five  thousand  head,  principally  does, 
which  I  have  received  altogether  from  Texas.  I  am  now  breedng  a 
Hock  of  about  one  hundred  very  choice  does  to  my  hornless  buck  'Ad- 
miral Dewey,'  which  I  regard  tlic  finest  type  of  Angora  goat  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  combining  both  moluiir  and  mutton  qualities  to  perfection. 
I  have  not  yet  sold  any  of  my  buck  kids  from  'Dewey,'  only  having  about 
four,  but  will  be  prepared  to  supply  them  from  my  present  (May  1900) 
crop  of  kids  which  I  shall  dispose  of  at  $50  to  $100.00  according  to  indi- 
vidual merits.  I  send  you  a  photograph  of  'Dewey'  with  two  of  his 
kids  taken  in  September." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Morton,  Indianola,   Iowa,  writes  : 

"I  became  interested  in  the  Angora  goat  in  1808,  purchasing  some 
very  choice  does  from  Texas,  which  show  an  average  of  three  pounds 
each.  I  got  them  for  the  purpose  of  clearing'  brush  land  which  I  have 
accomplished,  and  have  concluded  to  keep  them  for  breeding.  Have 
been  selling  bucks  from  $10.00  up  according  to  quality." 

Messrs.  Morgan  &  Morgan,  Clay,  Iowa,  write : 

"We  started  with  the  Angora  goat  in  1897  from  goats  purchased  of 
Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of  Platteville,  Iowa.  The  does  shear  three  to  four 
pounds  and  produce  a  very  fine  mohair  fourteen  inches  in  length.  Have 
been  selling  our  bucks  at  $15.0(1  np;  and  does,  $10.00  up,  according  to 
merit." 


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Sfotc»tCiifs  of  Breeders  About  Sheoriiig  Capacity  of  Goafs.    ??p 

Mr.  J.  R.  Barnette,  Globe,  Ariz.,  writes: 

"I  purchased  my  first  pure-bred  bucks  from  Wm.  M.  Landrum  of 
Laguna,  Texas,  in  1898.  My  does  shear  two  and  a  half  to  three  pounds, 
wethers  four  to  four  and  a  half  pounds.  Mohair  twelve  inches.  Have 
not  made  a  practice  of  selling  bucks  for  breeding  purposes  yet.  My 
price  for  high  grade  does  is  $4  to  $5  each." 

Mr.  Wm.  Horn.  Camp  Verde,  Ariz.,  writes  : 

"I  do  not  breed  any  goats  for  breeding  purposes.  My  flock  con- 
sists of  grades  shearing  one  and  a  half  to  two  pounds  for  does,  and  two 
to  two  and  a  half  pounds  for  wethers.     Eight  inch  staple. 

"Have  been  asking  $3  to  $4  per  head  for  my  goats." 

Mr.  Ira  Harper,  Clifton.  Ariz.,  writes 

"I  only  have  190  head  at  present  (September,  1899).  Have  sold  and 
killed  fifty  head  wethers  that  netted  me  $2.50  for  the  meat.  I  generally 
sel.  my   wethers   at   eighteen   months   old   and   some   at   twelve   months. 

"My  entire  flock  averages  two  and  a  half  pounds  mohair  measuring 
six  inches  long." 

Mr.  J.  F.  Holder,   l^ayson,  Ariz.,  writes  : 

"I  purchased  my  first  bucks  from   C.   P.   Bailey  of  San  Jose,   Cal. 
"My  flock   shears   three   pounds   for  does,   four  pounds   for   wethers. 
Mohair  from  nine  to  twelve  inches. 

"Have  been  selling  bucks  to  my  neighbors  at  $15.00  each." 

Mr.  T.  Clome  Allies,  Silver  Bend,  Mont.,  writes  : 

"My  first  bucks  came  from  Sargent  Brothers,  Colorado.  My  flock 
shears  three  and  a  half  pounds  for  does  and  five  pounds  for  wethers, 
with  a.  staple  of  nine  inch  mohair. 

"My  price  for  best  breeding  bucks  is  $50.01)  and  does  $_'0.00." 

Mr.  S.  S.  Brannin.  Marysville,  Mont.,  writes: 

"My  Angora  goats  shear  for  does  three  pounds  and  wethers  four 
and  a  half  pounds.  I  have  never  made  a  practice  of  breeding  bucks 
for  sale.     My  price  for  breeding  does  is  $5.00  per  head." 

Mr.  J.  S.  Harris,  Oakley,  writes : 

"I  have  divided  my  flock  of  goats  mto  three  parts  in  order  to  be 
able  to  .supply  breeders  with  bucks  more  easily  than  from  this  point, 
which  is  very  inaccessible.  One  of  my  subdivisions  is  located  at  Salem. 
Oregon,  in  company  with  Mr.  J.  B.  Early;  another  is  at  Montell, 
Uvalde  County,  Texas,  in  company  with  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Baylor;  and,  the 
third,  I  have  kept  here. 


S40  A   Nc7^'  Industry. 

"They  are  all  practically  the  same  kind  of  stock,  as  I  have  had  only 
the  one  strain  of  blood  for  many  years,  which  I  selected  myself  m  Asia 
Minor  in  1875.  I  claim  to  have  as  pure-bred  goats  as  can  be  found 
in  the   world. 

"For  a  number  of  years  after  my  return  from  Asia  there  was  very 
little  general  interest  taken  in  the  Angora  goat  industry  in  this  country, 
and  for  that  reason  I  did  not  save  many  more  bucks  than  I  wanted  tc 
use  in  my  own  flock.  I  made  wethers  out  of  my  males,  and  depended 
entirely  on  the  proceeds  from  mohair  for  the  profit  in  handling  them 
which  has  been  very  satisfactory.  The  recent  revival  in  the  demand 
for  breeding  stock  has  encouraged  me  to  save  all  my  male  kids;  and 
being  situated  so  far  from  the  center  of  trade  I  have  divided  my  flock 
as  above  stated.  I  have  raised  one  buck  that  sheared  as  high  as  eighteen 
and  a  half  pounds  of  mohair  in  twelve  months  in  two  searings,  and  fif- 
teen pounds  at  one  shearing.  I  would  give  a  thousand  dollars  to  have 
another  like  him  raised  in  Asia  Minor." 

Dr.  Titttle,  Tacoma,  Wash.,  writes: 

"I  received  my  first  goats  from  Mr.  McCorkle  of  Oregon.  I  have 
only  a  limited  unmber,  and  have  sold  my  bucks  for  $25.00  for  breeding 
purposes.  My  does  shear  six  pounds  of  thirteen  inch  mohair,  bucks 
eight  pounds." 

Mr.   Chris   Niellson,    BurUngton.    Wyo.,    writes : 
"My  first  buck  came  from  Bailey  of  California,  through  Mr.   Brom- 
ley of   Utah.     The    flock   consists    of   about    1500    head    (August,    1899) 
and  shears  four  pounds  for  does,  six  pounds  for  wethers,  of  twelve  inch 
mohair.     I  have  been  selling  breeding  bucks  at  $50.00  and  does  at  $8.00." 

Mr.  Jos  R.  Hanil)Hn,  Kanab,  Utah,  writes: 

"I  began  breeding  the  Angora  goat  in  1897.  My  does  shear  two 
and  a  half  pounds  and  over,  wethers  three  and  a  fourth  and  over.  My 
finest  mohair  is   fifteen   inches,   some   of  it   only  twelve   inches. 

"I  do  not  raise  any  bucks  for  sale." 

Mr.  R.  C.  Johnston.   Lawrence,    Kansas,   writes: 
"I  have  only  been  interested  in  Angcra  goats  about  one  year.     Was 
attracted  to  them  by  their  great  utility  as  brush  exterminators,  and  have 
imported  and  sold   no  less  than  five  thousand  head  from  Texas,   which 
have  been  distributed  mainly  in  Kansas,  and  some  in  Missouri. 

"I  have  decided  to  make  the  Angora  goat  a  prominent  feature  in 
my  farming  interests  in  the  future,  as  I  regard  them  as  being  one  of  the 
most  valuable  species  of  live  stock  that  I  can  raise.  I  purchased  from 
Gunzer  Brothers.  Te.xas,  their  entire  flock  of  goats  only  a  month  or  two 


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Sfatcincuts  of  Breeders  About  Shearing  Capacit\  of  Goafs.  J4J 

ago,  which  consists  of  about  500  head  of  very  beautiful  goats  shearing 
fully  an  average  of  three  and  a  half  pounds  of  fine  mohair  twelve  inches 
long,  in  Texas,  which  will  probably  make  them  five  pound  shearers  in 
this  climate.  Many  of  the  does  will  shear  upwards  of  five  and 
six  pounds  at  this  time,  which  I  shall  select  and  use  for  a  stud 
Hock  and  expect  to  sell  my  bucks  at  $25.00  and  upwards,  according  to 
shearing  qualities.     The  does  I   do  not  care  to  sell  yet. 

"The  'Gunzer'  flock  originated  from  the  'Devine'  goats,  which  came 
out  of  the  'Peters'  stock,  and  they  out  of  the  "Davis'  goats,  originally 
imported  from  Asia  Minor." 

Mr.  Wm.  J.  Seever,  Secretary  "Missouri  Historical  Socie- 
ty," St.  Louis,  Mo.,  writes: 

"I  purchased  my  first  Angora  goats  from  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of 
Iowa,  in  1898.  I  have  only  a  small  number  of  them  on  hand  and  have 
none  for  sale  at  present.  I  know  that  the  following  farmers  have  some, 
but  as  to  their  price,  or  disposition  to  sell,  I  am  not  familiar: 

"A.  A.   Glassey,  Cuba,   Mo. 

"Sligo  Furnace  Co.,  Sligo,  Mo. 

"H.    M.    Ruime,   Pacific,   Mo. 

"John  L.   Hooker,   Clementine,  Mo. 

"Charles  T.   Moore,    Nashville,   111. 

"George  Dressendorfer,   Macedonia,   Mo. 

"C.  M.  Buck,  Union,  Mo. 

"B.  S.   Knapp,   Rolla,   Mo. 

"G.    Pauls,    Eureka,    Mo. 

"T.  L.  Chamberlain,  Rolla,  Mo. 

"Wm.  C.  Dickinson,  Rolla,  Mo. 

"T.  A.  Murphy,  Dixon,  Mo. 

"John  Regsby,  Newton,  Phelps  County,   Mo. 

"Charles   Ruepple,   Stanton,   Mo. 

"Henry  Frauz,   Rolla,  Mo. 

"J.  H.  Canada,  Mexico,  Mo." 

Mr.  A.  Lippincutt,  Sheridan,  Mo.,  writes  : 
"I   first  became   interested  in  Angora   goats   in   1898  through   Dr.   J. 
R.  Standley  of  Iowa.     My  does  shear  five  pounds  of  mohair,  eight  inches 
long.     I  have  been  selling  bucks  at  $10  to  $15  and  does  $6  to  $10." 

Mr.  J.  K.  Young,  Woodward,  O.  T.,  writes : 

"I  purchased  my  first  Angora  goats  in  1895  from  Francis  Garst. 
^ly  does  shear  three  pounds  and  wethers  five  pounds,  mohair  measures 
thirteen  inches.  Weight  of  wethers  100  pounds  and  does  seventy-five 
pounds.  My  price  for  breeding  bucks  is  $25.00  and  does  $15.00  per 
head." 


344 


A  Nczv  Iiidiisti'v. 


Mr.  O.  D.  Hill,  Kendalia,  West  \'a.,  writes: 


"I  commenced  handling  the  Angora  goat  in  189-2,  which  were  per- 
haps the   first   that   were   taken   into   West   \'irginia. 

"My  does  shear  about  three  potind.s  and  wethers  as  high  as  six  to 
eight  pounds.  Moliair  is  very  long  and  ranges  about  eighteen  inches. 
My  price  for  In-eeding  bucks  has  been  $25.00  per  head,  and  breeding  docs 
the  same."' 

Estate  of  James  A.  Bell,  Bell  Hill,  Conn. ; 

"Mr.  Kansas  N.  Bill,  the  executor  of  his  father's  estate,  writes 
that  they  became  interested  in  the  Angora  goat  upwards  of  twenty 
years  ago,  through  Mr.  Terrell  of  Cheshire,  who  obtained  them  from 
Col.  Richard  Peters  of  Atlanta,  Georgia. 

"Have  always  had  a  sale  for  them  at  $18  to  $25  per  pair. 

"He  mentions  the  following  other  persons  who  are  raising  the  An- 
gora in   Connecticut: 

"Mr.  James  B.  Palmer,  Lisbon,  Conn. 

"Mr.  D.  H.  Van  Hosear,  Hurlburst,  Conn. 

"Mr.  C.   B.  Wood,  North  Lynne,  P.  O.  address,  Chicago,   111." 

NORTH  CARC  )L1XA.    Lafayette  Holt,  Bttrlington,  X.  C. : 

"I   purchased   my   first   Angora   goats   in    ISIKS. 

"Have  not  been  breeding  for  bucks,  Ijut  will  probably  do  so  later  on." 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

CLEARING    BRUSHY    LAND,    AND    HOW    THE    WORK    IS    DONE. 

The  greatest  profit  in  breeding  the  Angora  goat  is,  perhaps, 
in  connection  with  the  clearing  up  ct  some  old,  worn-out  farm 
that  is  grown  uj)  with  briars  and  brush,  and  restoring  it  to  a 
condition  of  fertility  and  usefulness  ,  or,  by  purchasing  some 
native  forest  or  stimip  land  and  converting  it  into  good  farming 
land.  Tiie  latter  plan  has  been  followed,  and  is  still  carried  on, 
with  great  success,  in  Iowa,  Oregon,  and  California ;  and,  the  old 
States,  in  the  East,  offer  many  oppoitunities  to  carry  out  the 
former,  which  can  be  done  by  the  purchase  of  some  of  the  aban- 
doned farms  in  that  section. 

In  the  more  central  States,  like  Missouri,  Kansas,  and  Ark- 
ansas, farmers  are  troubled  with  a  most  aggarvating  kind  of 
growth,  known  as  Ijiick  brusli,  which  produces  a  small  red  berry 
that  birds  are  very  fond  of,  and  they  distrilnite  them  over  the 
face  of  the  whole  country  to  such  extent  that,  in  some  places,  en- 
tire fields  have  been  covered  by  the  brush,  which  throws  out  a 
running  root,  and,  in  a  very  short  timd,  the  pastures  become 
practically  worthless.  No  kind  of  stock  will  touch  it,  and  it  was 
a  serious  question  among  ihe  land  owners  where  it  exists,  as  to 
what  they  could  do  to  exterminate,  or  at  least  keep  it  back. 
They  had  heard  of  the  Angora  goat's  great  fondness  for  brush 
of  all  description,  and  the  first  experiment  with  them  solved  the 
problem,  and  it  is  getting  to  be  quite  common  now  for  farmers 
in  this  section  to  have  a  small  flock  of  these  goats. 

In  many  other  parts  of  our  country  and  in  Canada,  the 
''Canadian  thistle"  is  the  bane  of  the  farmer,  and  stringent  laws 
are  employed  to  keep  this  worthless  weed  from  spreading.  The 
Angora  goat  regards  this  as  one  of  the  choicest  kinds  of  diet, 
and  takes  great  delight  in  eating  it  whenever  it  can  be  found. 


^48  A  Nczv  Industry. 

It  is  quite  obvious  that  if  a  breeder  can  connect  the  raising 
of  this  animal  for  mohair,  upon  such  lands  as  I  have  mentioned, 
the  profits  will  be  much  larger  than  where  he  is  compelled  to 
rent  land  for  the  simple  support  of  his  stock. 

I  have  collected  quite  a  mass  of  testimony  from  practical 
breeders  who  have  had  experience  in  their  several  States  in 
clearing  land  which  will  assist  new  beginners  in  learning  how 
this  work  is  carried  on. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  of  Plattcville,  Iowa,  is  deservedly  entitled 
to  the  credit  of  introducing  this  practice  into  his  State,  which  he 
began  in  1893,  by  the  purchase  of  some  three  or  four  hundred 
goats  in  Texas.  His  neighbors  thought  he  was  certainly  de- 
mented when  they  saw  him  actually  turn  loose  these  animals 
on  his  beautiful  farm,  but  they  very  soon  began  to  realize  that 
there  was  much  method  in  the  doctor's  madness.  Reference 
has  already  been  made  to  the  great  success  he  acheived,  and 
plates  XX  and  XXI,  will  convey  a  more  correct  idea  of  how 
effectually  his  work  was  accomplished — making  out  of  a  worth- 
less thicket  of  brush  a  most  attractive  and  beautiful  pasture. 

Plate  XIX  shows  a  small  bunch  of  Angoras  at  work  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  S.  S.  McKibben,  of  Earlham,  in  Madison  County. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  goats  have  gotten  the  brush  all 
destroyed  in  the  enclosure  they  are  in,  and  are  trying  to  reach  the 
brush  in  the  neighboring  field,  rather  than  eat  the  grass  in 
their  own. 

The  third  illustration,  or  plate  XXII,  was  taken  on  the 
farm  of  the  Hon.  A.  H.  Edwards,  of  Audubon.  Iowa,  who 
writes  me  as  follows : 

"I  have  had  but  limited  experience  with  goats.  I  have  used  them  for 
clearing  up  a  pasture  of  eighty  acres,  in  which  about  forty  acres  was 
densely  covered  with  'grubs.'  (a  species  of  burr-oak  dwarfed,  probably, 
by  plains  fires,  as  our  land   is   naturally  prairie.) 

"I  have  had  in  the  pasture  an  average  of  100  sheep  and  400  goats  for 
five  months,  and  forty  head  of  cattle  for  one  month.  Three  weeks  ago 
the  oak  leaves  within  reach  of  the  goats  were  gone.  I  send  you  a  photo- 
graph of  my  field  showing  the  good  work  done  by  them." 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  of  Plattville.  Iowa,  prepared  the  follow- 
ing paper,  at  my  request,  giving  a  very  clear  statement  of  his 
experience  in  the  matter  of 


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Clearing  Bntshv  Laud,  and  Hozv  the  ]Vork  is  Done.  ■?5/ 

HOW  TO  CLEAR  BRUSH  LAND  WITH  GOATS. 

"To  commence  this  article  I  want  to  say  that  my  cxeperience  in 
clearing  brush  land  with  goats  has  been  entirely  with  Angora  goats, 
most  of  them  pretty  well  bred  with  about  300  'full-bloods.' 

"I  can  see  no  reason  why  the  common  goat  would  not  be  just  as 
good. 

"I  suppose  I  was  the  first  man  who  ever  tried  keeping  goats  for  clear- 
ing land  of  lirush.  I  want  to  say.  here,  that  I  was  in  such  a  fix.  I  was 
compelled  to  do  something.  I  had  on  hand  several  hundred  acres  ol 
land  known  as  'barnes,'  and  worse,  some  of  it,  for  a  great  portion  of  it 
was  so  densely  covered  with  hazel,  plum,  crab-apple,  box-alder,  witch- 
hazel,  and  other  varieties  of  undergrowth  known  in  this  country,  that 
hundreds  of  acres  did  not  produce  a  single  spear  of  grass  of  any  kind, 
and  not  many  weeds.  Millions  of  acres  of  land  in  the  middle  Northwest 
of  the  United  States  is  today  so  set  with  undergrowth  that  it  is  impossible 
to  get  even  the  worth  of  the  annual  taxes  out  of  the  land,  in  the  common 
way  of  pasturing  the  kinds  of  live-stock  heretofore  kept  in  this  country. 

"Little,  very  little,  seems  to  be  known  of  the  use  of  goats  in  reclaim- 
ing the  wilderness.  The  man  who  clears  brush-land  in  the  old  way, 
by  grub,  hoe  and  plow,  is  behind  the  times. 

"Think  a  little,  kind  reader:  It  is  worth  from  five  or  six  dollars 
per  acre  to  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars  per  acre  to  clear  brush  land,  and  even 
then  a  great  deal  of  the  very  best  kind  of  grass  land  is  too  rough  to  plow. 
And  besides,  along  streams,  there  are  so  many  nooks  and  bends  and 
bluffs,  that  never  could  be  plowed;  and,  the  pastures,  many  of  them, 
after  they  have  been  pastured  many  years,  become  set  in  briars,  buck- 
brush  or  turkey-berry,  so  that  the  grass  nearly  all  dies.  A  few  Angora 
goats  will  kill  all  this,  and  make  more  grass  than  if  they  were  not  in 
the  pasture. 

"You  can  commence  by  cutting  exerything  the  goats  cannot  bend 
down,  trees,  bushes,  etc.  Never  cut  hazel;  they  like  the  old  hazel  best, 
and  kill  it  better  than  the  sprouts. 

"To  fence  for  goats,  26  iijch  woven  wire,  and  two  or  three  barbed 
wires  above,  is  the  best  fence  I  have  ever  made.  I  have  some  old- 
fashioned  rail  fence,  Osage  hedge,  and  scven-barbed-wire  fence  that 
turn  them,  but  the  first  named,   I   call  the  best. 

"Two  years  is  sufficient  to  kill  hazel,  ar.d  any  stumps  of  any  timber 
that  grows  in  this  country    (Southern   Iowa). 

"Some  people  think  goats  kill  brush  by  eating  it.  but  this  is  not  so. 
Goats  do  not  eat  the  brush,  they  only  denude  the  brush  of  its  leaves, 
and  continue  so  to  do,  which  mrikes  the  brush  sick  to  the  very  extremity 
of  the  roots,  causing  the  roots  to  die  as  soon  as  the  tops  of  the  brush, 
consequently,  no  sprouting.  Land  cleared  in  the  old  way  will  have  more 
or  less  sprouts  for  many  years,  and  nooks  and  bends  in  branches  and 
fence  corners  which  are  a  never-ending  eye-sore. 


?5-  A  AVtc  Industry. 

"The  goats  do  it  more  perfectly  than  any  way.  I  have  several 
hundred  acres  now  as  clean  as  a  lawn,  and  as  well  set  in  grass,  by  the 
work  of  these  pesky  little  animals.  And  not  only  clear  of  brush,  but  it 
is  the  common  remark  of  all  who  visit  my  place  that  I  have  no  weeds, 
or  comparatively  none. 

"Now  for  one  minute  more,  kind  reader,  give  me  your  full  at- 
tention. 

"Say  eighty  acres  of  brush-land,  bringing  no  revenue,  is  furnished 
with  a  good  fence  and  two  hundred  Angora  goats,  good  grade,  that 
will  shear  three  pounds  per  head  of  good  staple  mohair,  mostly  eight 
inches  in  length,  worth  now  thirty-six  cents  per  pound;  this  eighty 
acres  will  furnish  all  the  feed  the  goats  need  for  one-half  the  year, 
the  other  half,  feed  as  sheep.  600  pounds  of  mohair  at  36  cents. 
$216.00.  It  is  fair  to  say  that  one-half  of  this  $216.00  is  for  the  use  of 
the  eighty  acres  of  land  which  is  not  worth  anything  for  other  stock. 

"I  have  simply  given  these  figures  to  show  that  the  goats  will  give 
near,  or  about,  the  same  revenue  as  the  same  number  of  sheep,  and  live 
during  the  summer,  on  what  no  other  animal  will  live  on.  Now,  count 
three  years  to  clear  this  land,  and  set  it  in  grass,  and  you  have  the  nice 
sum  of  $324.00  to  the  credit  of  your  goats,  and  also  the  clearing  of  the 
eighty  acres,  worth  surely  $800.00.  And  agan,  if  your  goats  are  one-h?.lf 
or  more  females,  you  have  raised  young  as  well,  and  as  many  as  a  like 
number  of  sheep. 

"Now,  you  have  eighty  acres  of  clear  land  and  the  clearing  has  cost 
less  than  nothing.  Can  you  afiford  to  leave  that  brush?  Verily,  no! 
Buy  goats.  If  you  can  not  get  good  grade  Angora  goats,  buy  common 
goats,  and  pure-bred  bucks,  and  make  money  on  the  goats  while  you  are 
clearing  your  land.  When  your  land  is  cleared  sell  to  that  neighbor  who 
needs  them;    he  will  want  them  before  you  are  through  with  them. 

I  am  fully  of  the  opinion  that  it  will  pay  to  keep  Angora  goats  as 
weed  exterminators.  The  goat  being  a  browsing  and  not  a  grazing  ani- 
mal makes  him  doubly  valuable  to  the  man  with  brush  land. 

"It  is  not  my  desire  to  go  into  the  uses  to  which  the  Angora  goat 
may  1)e  put  (except  in  a  cursory  way),  except  the  clearing  of  brush 
land.  This  is  not  the  only  priit  of  the  Angora,  by  any  means.  Mohair, 
meat,  skins  to  make  rugs  and  mats,  and  milk,  are  sources  of  revenue 
from  the  goat. 

"Yes.  verily,  I  believe  the  Angora  goat  a  more  profitable  animal 
than  the  sheep,  aside  from  his  very  superior  qualities  as  a  browser. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  over-draw  the  Angora,  neither  do  I  believe  I  have 
so  done.  Nor  do  I  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  sheep  is  an  inferior 
animal.  While  I  believe  the  Angora  goat  a  better  animal  than  the 
sheep,  I  think  the  sheep  the  next  best  animal." 


Clearing  Brushy  Laud,  and  Ho-w  the  J  fork  is  Done.         jj^ 

S.  S.  McKibben,  Earlham,  Madison  County,  says : 

"Referring  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  experience  I  have  had  with 
clearing  off  brush  land  by  the  use  of  Angora  goats  I  would  state,  I 
was  first  attracted  to  the  plan  by  reading  a  short  article  from  the  pen 
of  Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of  Platteville,  Iowa,  and  I  later  visited  his  farm 
and  saw  the  wonderful  work  he  had  accomplished.  Ipurchased  a  few 
at  first  and  satisfied  myself  that  they  would  do  all  that  was  claimed  for 
them  and  I  then  determined  to  engage  in  the  business  of  raising  the 
Angora  as  a  farm  animal,  for  profit,  and  dealing  in  them  generally.  I 
began  this  business  in  lS!>7-i)8,  and  have  imported  from  Texas  and  sold 
to  other  farmers  in  this  State  no  less  than  five  thousand  head  of  these 
animals.  I  have  thoroughly  removed  all  the  brush  on  my  farm,  and  have 
had  to  secure  other  places  to  hold  goats  that  I  have  received  during  the 
past  year.  The  Angora  goat  is,  in  my  judgment,  one  of  the  most  profi- 
table animals  the  farmers  of  any  country  can  keep  where  they  are  troub- 
led with  either  weeds  or  brush.  They  will  eat,  and  do  well,  on  any  of 
the  brush  that  grows  in  Iowa,  such  as  sumac,  hazel,  buck-brush,  elder, 
dog-wood,  etc.,  but  they  do  not  take  to  the  hickory  very  well;  yet, 
if  confined  for  some  time  they  will  remove  this,  too. 

'"One  hundred  goats  to  forty  acres  of  brush  land  will  be  quite  enough 
to  use.  and  they  will  kill  it  out  in  two  years.  The  manure  which  these 
animals  will  drop,  and  distribute,  over  the  land  is  really  worth  more 
than  the  little  feed  that  is  necessary  to  throw  them  in  the  winter  time, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  improved  grazing  character  of  the  land,  which  will 
be  made  into  a  most  perfect  blue  grass  pasture  in  our  section  of  the 
State." 

Capt.  J-  Murray  Hoag,  of  Maquoketa,  Iowa,  says  : 

"I  find  the  Angora  goat  a  veritable  gold  mine  as  a  brush  extermi- 
nator. They  not  only  clear  the  ground  of  brush  and  weeds  but  enrich 
it  evenly  as  they  work,  thus  giving  the  blue  grass,  natural  to  our  soil, 
a  chance  to  grow  luxuriantly.  As  money  makers  sheep  are  not  in  it  with 
the  Angora.  They  not  only  live  but  thrive  upon  that  which  we  consider 
of  no  value.  They  are  free  from  the  many  diseases  common  to  sheep. 
Dogs  soon  learn  to  keep  their  distance.  Their  hair  as  a  textile  fabric 
ranks  next  to  silk,  and  lastly  they  are  pleasant  to  handle  and  an  adorn- 
ment to  the  farm.  You  are  I  think,  right  in  recommending  good  grade 
does  and  full  blood  rams  for  the  average  buyer,  as  pure  bred  does  are  al- 
most beyond  the  reach  of  conservative  men.  By  this  combination 
good  shearing  goats  are  the  immediate  result  and  a  prize  flock  yours 
in  the  near  future.  I  am  buying  some  high  priced  Angoras  in  both 
California  and  Texas,  to  say  nothing  of  an  importation  I  am  making 
from  South  Africa,  as  my  plan  is  to  have  representated  in  my  flocks  the 


_^fi6  A  Xc7c  ImUistrv. 

best  obtainable  strains,  at  same  time  I  wculd  consider  it  a  slow  business^ 
but  for  the  grade  Angoras  I  have  and  am  getting  in  considerable  num- 
bers. 

"Sell  all  the  grade  Angoras  you  can  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  your  patror.s  will  reap  their  reward  and  thank  you  for  directing 
them  aright." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Morton,  Indianola,  Iowa,  savs  : 

"I  got  my  goats  mainly  to  clear  brushy  land  and  they  have  done  it 
to  my  entire  satisfaction.  Not  less  than  five  goats  to  one  acre  of  land  is 
required  to  clean  it  up  properly,  unless  the  brush  is  very  thin.  They 
will  kill  all  kinds  of  brush  they  can  rea:h. 

■"It  is  only  necessary  to  confine  them  on  the  land  you  want  to  clear 
,ind  they  will  do  the  rest  of  the  work." 

Mr.  A.  R.  Tate.  Wintersett.  Io\va,  says  : 

"Goats  are  being  very  extensively  used  for  clearing  land  in  Iowa. 

"The  way  I  do  it  is  to  cut  down  the  timber  and  let  it  sprout  for  a 
couple  of  years.  They  seem  to  kill  it  much  faster  thin  if  the  sprouts 
are  close  to  the  stump.  They  will  kill  hazel  better  if  you  do  not  cut  it 
down.'" 

Messrs.  Morgan  &  Morgan.  Clay,  Iowa,  say: 

"Angora  goats  are  being  used  very  largely  in  our  State  for  clearing 
brush  land.  Our  experience  has  been  entirely  satisfactory  excepting 
with  black  hickory. 

"Large  trees  may  be  cut  down  and  the  goats  will  keej)  the  sprouts 
from   ever  growing  and  will  finally  kill  the  root." 

Mr.  I.  J.  Booth,  Cresco,  Iowa,  says: 

"I  have  only  handled  goats  a  short  time  but  am  well  pleased  with  the 
way  they  clean  up  brush  and  weeds.  As  to  brush  they  beat  the  world. 
They  take  any  and  all  kinds,  oak,  cherry,  baswood,  hickory,  elm;  in 
fact  every  green  thing  including  weeds  of  all  kind,  except  it  may  be  the 
mullin.  They  will  eat  the  thistle.  My  wood  lot  is  as  clean  as  a  road 
from  both  brush  and  weeds,  and  with  clover  to  their  knees.  It  requires 
cattle  with  them  to  eat  the  grass.  Horses  love  to  eat  around  them. 
Hundreds  of  people  have  visited  my  ranch  to  see  how^  they  can  clear 
brush  land.  Just  cut  down  any  large  trees  and  they  w-ill  do  the  balance 
of  the  work  without  any  urging.  If  I  were  a  younger  man  I  would  make 
the  Angora  business  a  specialty." 


Clearing  Brushy  Land,  and  How  the  JJ'ork  is  Dojic.         ^^^p 

Hon.  Thcs.  H.  Tongue.  Hillsbcro,  Oregon,  says  : 

"Yes,  goats  are  going  to  be  used  very  extensively,  tor  cleaning 
brush  land  in  this  State.  I  have  some  for  this  purpose,  otherwise,  I  think 
I  would  prefer  sheep.  My  experience  in  this  matter  has  been  very  sat- 
isfactory and  I  am.  now,  not  only  keeping  all  the  goats  I  raise,  but  pur- 
chase wlienever  I  can  find  a  suitable  opportunity.  There  are.  however,  very 
few  goats  for  sale,  and  those  who  have  them  are  learning  to  use  them  in 
cleaning  land,  very  profitably.  Some  years  ago,  I  had  slashed  of¥  land, 
burned  the  underbrush  when  dry  in  the  fall,  seeded  with  grass,  but  it  had 
grown  up  in  a  few  years  and  soon  became  valueless.  I  finally  hit  upon 
the  plan  of  using  goats.  My  practice  is  to  cut  all  the  brush  in  the  spring 
or  summer,  run  fire  through  it,  and  burn  it  up  when  dry  in  the  fall, 
then  seed  with  grass,  and  the  next  spring  begin  to  pasture  goats  to 
keep  down  the  leaves  and  sprouts  of  the  brush.  About  two  or  three 
years  in  this  way  succeeds  pretty  well  in  killing  all  the  growth.  In 
the  meantime,  the  grass  becomes  well  set  and  furnishes  good  pasture  until 
the  stumps  are  rotted  out  sufficiently  for  the  plow.  It  is  difficult  to 
say  how  many  goats  are  required,  more  the  first  year  than  after.  It  de- 
pends upon  the  thickness  of  the  growth. Our  undergrowth  consists  of 
hazel,  fine  maple  oak  and  other  small  shrubbery.  If  this  is  very  thick 
for  the  first  year  it  would  perhaps  take  three  or  four  goats  per  acre,  but 
for  ordinary  brush  land,  two  to  three  goats  per  acre  seems  sufficient.  I 
have  now  in  the  vicinity  of  100  acres  where  the  brush  has  been  pretty 
well  killed  by  this  process.  The  stumps  are  nearly  routed  out,  and  in 
a  very  short  time  it  will  be  ready  for  the  plow.  I  have  about  300  acres 
more  that  I  am  preparing  to  treat  in  like  manner.  The  benefit  that  the 
goats  do  in  this  particular  far  more  than  compensates  for  the  care, 
feed  and  keeping.  In  my  judgment,  the  fleece  and  increase  is  clean 
profit." 

Mr.  N.  ^^'oocl\vorcl,  Dallas,  Oregon,  says  : 

"I  first  cut  down  the  brush  land  and  large  trees,  and  then  let  the 
goats  run  on  them  until  there  is  no  more  sprouting,  and  I  then  take 
them  off  until  they  all  sprout  again,  and  get  about  two  weeks"  growth, 
and  I  put  the  goats  back  again;  and  I  keep  this  up  until  everything  is 
dead.  It  usually  takes  two  or  three  years  to  kill  it  out,  and  about  the 
same  time  for  the  stumps  and  roots  to  rot  out.  Our  land  is  covered  with 
fir  and  oak.  The  oak  trees  are  small,  about  the  size  of  good  fire  wood, 
from  21/2  to  12  inches  in  diameter,  and  from  25  to  30  feet  high.  There  is 
no  kind  of  brush  in  Oregon  but  what  a  goat  will  eat." 

Mr.  O.   Dowell,  Florence,  Oregon,  says  : 

"My  goats  will  eat  all  kinds  of  brush  that  grows  here  except  the 
alder.     We  have  great  variety  of  brush,   including  seven   or  eight   kinds 


j6o  A  Nra'  Iiidiislry. 

of  evergreens.  I  am  clearing  up  brush  in  bottom  land.  I  slash  thr 
brush  and  trees,  then  I  burn  the  brush  vnd  immediately  sow  it  to  grass. 
In  this  climate  it  will  make  a  good  pasture  nearly  all  winter.  After  it 
is  up  four  or  five  inches,  I  turn  my  cattle,  hogs,  and  goats  in,  and  the 
goats  keep  down  the  sprouts.  Goats  will  kill  brush  that  has  not  been 
slashed,  if  they  are  confined  on  it  long  enough.  I  think  it  will  take 
fifteen  or  twenty  goats  to  kill  one  acre  of  heavy  brush,  such  as  grows 
here.     Some  of  it  is  so  thick  that  a  man  can  not  walk  through  it." 

]\!r.  D.  A.  Walker,  Carlton,  (Jregon,  says: 

'"Goats  will  e:J;  all  kinds  of  brush  in  this  country,  but  poison  oak 
and  mountain  laurel." 

Mr.  Geo.  A.  Hoiick,  Eugene,  Oregon,  says  : 

"As  for  clearing  brush,  the  Angora  is  a  profitable  investment  here, 
even  at  ten  cents  for  mohair,  as  he  makes  more  land  every  year,  and 
our  coast  mountains  are  capable  of  supporting  at  a  low  estimate  five 
millions  of  goats,  there  being  a  country  ten  miles  wnde,  and  three  hun- 
dred miles  long,  that  is  practically  unsettled  along  the  west  side  of  Ore- 
gon, and  is  excellent  feed  for  goats.  The  way  I  clear  brush,  I  slash 
grubs,  about  twenty  inches  high  in  winter,  making  feed  for  the  goats: 
then  when  the  sprouts  come  out  in  the  summer,  they  keep  it  down,  and 
will  kill  oak  in  two  seasons  if  kept  on  the  pasture  all  the  time." 

Air.  A.  lUackbttrn,  N.  Yamhill,  Oregon,  says  : 

"Nine-tenths  of  the  goats  owned  in  this  State  are  used  for  cleaning 
up  brushy  land.  We  cut  down  all  they  can  not  reach  the  tops  of.  They 
will  destroy  hazel,  ash,  and  willow,  in  a  year;  and  oak  in  three  years. 
I  knew  of  no  brush  that  they  will  not  eat.  From  one  to  three  goats 
to  the  acre,  according  to  the  quantity  of  l)rush,  is  the  usual  number  em- 
ployed in  the  work." 

Mr.  J.  H.  Hawley,  Monnioitth,  Oregon,  says  : 

"Goats  are  used  extensively  for  clearing  brush.  They  are  used  ex- 
clusively for  clearing  brush  land  in  this  S.ate.  The  usual  way  is  to  give 
them  access  to  the  pasture,  and  the  brush  will  disappear  in  proportion 
to  the  number  of  goats  used." 

i.ir.   Frank  H.    ivogers,    Gardiner,    ()regon,    says: 

"I   have   found  the   Angora  invaluable    in   the   matter  of  clearing  up 

brushy   and    fern    lands.     In   this    locality   they    feed    mostly,    or   browse, 

on   sallall,   thimbleberry,   salmonberry,   elders   and   fern,   the   latter   being 

the  great  drawback  to  upland  pasture  land,  as  it  grows  so  rapidly  and 


Clearing  Brushy  Laud,  ami  Hcnv  the  IVork  is  Done.         ^^6i 

thick  as  to  shade  out  all  other  growths.  Goats  will  peel  the  elder  trees, 
some,  in  winter  time,  not  exceeding  four  inches  in  diameter;  all  wil- 
lows: and  all  elders;  some  cherry  trees  (wild);  but  they  do  the  best  good 
destroying  the  young  sprouts  of  brush  each  season;  the  young  fern  as 
it  comes  up  in  the  spring;  and  the  buds;  and  bull  thistles;  and  other  obnox- 
ious weeds.  Cattle  do  not  object  to  running  in  the  same  pasture  with 
goats,  and  I  regard  them  a  great  advantage  for  they  remove  a  great 
many  weeds  that  arc  objectionable  to  cattle  and  a  great  eye-sore  to  the 
owner  of  the  land." 

]\Ir.  James  McDonald,   Morrison,  Oregon,  says: 

"Goats  arc  very  fond  of  any  kind  of  sprouts  from  the  stump  of  the 
trees  that  are  cut  down.  We  have  the  oak,  line  maple,  cherry,  and 
hazel.  We  cut  it  down  when  it  is  in  full  leaf,  and  in  the  fall  we  set  fire 
to  it,  and  the  goats  do  the  rest." 

Mr.  W.  D.  C!ag-g-ett,  Salem,  Oregon,  says  : 

"Goals  are  very  extensively  used  for  cleaning  brush  land  in  our 
State.  They  will  eat  nearly  anything  that  grows  here  and  we  think 
they  are  a  most  profitable  animal,  much  more  so  than  sheep." 

"People  arc  just  beginning  to  find  out  the  value  of  the  goat  for  rid- 
ding the  farm  of  brush  and  weeds.  Thu  way  I  clear  brush  land  is  as 
follows: 

"The  valleys  and  foot-hills  are  covered  with  brush,  principally  oak- 
grubs,  spotted  with  ferns  and  small  citus.  The  land  is  first  fenced, 
the  brush  and  timber  cut  down,  and  burned,  and  then  goats  are  turned 
into  the  pasture,  which  are  kept  there  until  all  stumps  and  small  brush  is 
dead.  It  requires  from  two  to  four  years  to  kill  oak  grubs  and  from  one 
to  three  goats  to  the  acre  to  keep  sprouts  down.  They  will  certainly 
exterminate  all  kinds  of  brush  and  are  the  'dead  medicine'  on  all  kinds 
of  thistles.  I  will  venture  to  say  I  can  turn  my  goats  into  the  worst 
patch  of  "Canada  thistle"  that  grows,  and  they  will  exterminate  them. 
They  will  never  go  to  seed.  The  first  thing  the  goat  does  is  to  take 
out  the  bloom." 

]Mr.  Scott  Oliye,  X.  Yamhill.  Oregon,  says: 

"Goats  are  extensively  used  for  clearing  brush  in  this  State.  The 
number  that  it  recpiires  for  one  acre  depends  altogether  on  the  charac- 
ter of  the  brush.  The  brush  should  first  be  slashed  and  then  dried  and 
burned,  and  when  the  sprouts  begin  to  grow,  put  the  goats  on  the  land, 
and  they  will  keep  it  eaten  down,  and  will  clear  it  in  three  years:  and  in 
most  cases  a  fine  stand  of  grass,  for  goats  are  excellent  fertilizers,  as 
well  as  land  cleaners.  Other  stock  make  no  objection  to  pasturing  with 
ihem.     In  ordinary  browsing,  two  goats  to  the  acre  is  enough." 


jd-'  A  Nczv  Industry. 

Air.  Oscar  Tom,  Angora,  Oregon,  says  : 

"Large  timber  and  brush  is  slashed,  or  cut  down  in  winter,  or  spring, 
burned  when  dry,  sown  to  grass,  and  the  goats  keep  the  sprouts  down. 
Where  there  is  trasii  on  the  ground  and  small  brush,  and  fire  will  run, 
it  is  burned  over,  and  then  sown  down  with  grass,  and  the  goats  are  then 
turned  in,  and  they  will  tramp  the  soil,  set  the  grass  seed  and  keep  the 
brush  from  sprouting  again,  or  as  we  call  it,  they  will  'grub'  the  land. 
Where  there  is  much  fern  and  one  can  get  a  burn  occasionally  it  is  best 
to  burn  early  in  the  spring.  It  docs  not  hurt  the  grass  roots  much, 
and  it  makes  better  range  for  the  following  winter. 

"Goats  will  eat  all  kinds  of  brush  that  grows  here,  and  all  kinds  of 
weeds  except  the  nettle,  and  I  never  saw  a  goat  that  would  eat  these. 
They  are  especially  fond  of  thistle.  They  eat  the  blooms  as  fast  as 
they  appear,  and  will  keep  them  down  provided  there  are  not  too  many 
for  the  number  of  goats." 

Mr.  E.  R.  Williams,  Redding.  Cal.,  says  : 
"I  girdle  my  large  trees  and  cut  tb.e  small  ones  down,  and  the  goats 
do  the  balance. 

"We  have  nearly  every  kind  of  brush  that  you  can  mention." 

Messrs.  Conklin  Bros.,  Newville,  Cal.,  say : 

••Goatiwil'  destroy  any  kind  of  brush  they  can  reach  the  top  of, 
and  will  keep  large  trees  from  growing  when  once  cut  down.  They  will 
not  let  sprouts  grow  if  confined." 

Mr.  EL  Maze,  Upper  i^ake,  Cal.,  says: 
"The  best  way  to  destroy  brush  on  land  is  to  burn  off  the  forest 
by  cutting  down  some  of  the  small  brush  and  placing  it  around  the 
larger  trees.  Every  bush  and  tree  that  "s  killed  by  the  fire  will  produce 
a  new  grov/th  which  makes  the  best  goat  feed,  and  they  will  keep  it 
down  so  close  that  in  a  few  years  will  kill  the  roots,  and  your  land  is 
cleared  of  brush." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Wimmer,  Millville,  Cal.,  says: 
"The  way  to   make   goats  effective   in  killing  trees,   or  bushes,   is  to 
cut  the   trees  and   bushes   down,   and   when  the   stumps   sprout   turn   the 
goats  in  and  they  eat  the  sprouts  ofT.     This,   if  followed  up   for  two  or 
three  years,  will  kill  the  stumps." 

F.  G.  Smith,  Skaggs  Springs,  Cal.,  says  : 

"Some  years  ago,  I  moved  into  the  mountains  on  a  tract  of  land 
whose  chief  value  consisted  in  the  red  wood  and  tan  oak  timber,  which, 
-on  account  of  the  distance  to   market  it  for  firewood,    is   of  no   value, 


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Clearing  Brushy  Laud,  and  Hozu  the  IVoik  is  Done.  ?(55 

and  acres  of  dense  growth  of  various  kinds  of  brush.  Aside  from  a  range 
for  hogs,  there  was  not  grazing  land  enough  to  keep  100  sheep.  After 
casting  about  what  use  to  make  of  the  brush,  I  finally  decided  to  try  a 
small  bunch  of  goats.  I  heard  of  a  man  who  had  a  small  lot  to  sell,  and 
from  him  I  bought  sixty  head  of  does  at  $1.50.  They  were  about  one- 
half  to  three-quarter  Angoras. 

"As  to  clearing  the  land,  1  have  not  made  a  special  object  of  the 
matter  of  enclosing  a  certain  tract  of  land  with  that  end  in  view.  I 
can  only  speak  in  a  general  way.  At  the  time  I  bought  my  start  in 
goats,  we  built  a  shed  and  enclosed  about  twenty  acres  of  land  on  a  small 
stream.  Near  the  waters,  stand  large  red  wood  trees,  a  narrow  fringe, 
outside  of  this  were  a  variety  of  shrubbery,  and  saplings,  with  patches  of 
grass  growing  between.  The  brush  growth  consisted  of  hazel,  buckeye, 
pin  oak,  manzanita,  and  mountain  laurel  (termed  pepper  wood),  black 
oak  and  madrone  saplings.  The  goats  were  confined  here  until  we  though/- 
they  were  used  to  their  new  location.  How  long  I  do  not  remember; 
long  enough,  however,  until  they  had  stripped  the  leaves  of¥  every  thing 
within  reach.  They  seemed  to  take  kindly  to  everything  except  the 
laurel  and  poison  ivy  (or  poison  oak  as  it  is  called  in  California).  This 
latter  vine  or  shrub  is  eaten  by  horses  and  hogs,  but  goats  seem  to  be 
indifferent  to  it.  The  hazel  and  buckey;^  seemed  their  first  choice;  these 
were  stripped  in  short  order.  Then  they  went  after  the  smooth,  thin 
bark  of  the  madrone  saplings.  These  were  girdled  as  high  as  they  could 
reach.  Oak  and  maple  brush  was  also  acceptable.  The  following  winter 
the  saplings  were  cut  down,  also  the  tall  brush,  the  tops  of  which  were 
teyond  the  reach  of  the  goats,  and  thrown  into  piles,  ready  for  burning 
■when  they  got  dry;  the  stumps  and  stubble  of  course  remained  standing. 
The  following  spring  this  enclosure,  which  contained  also  an  acre  or 
two  of  good  grazing  land,  was  used  as  a  kid  pasture;  in  June,  when  ihe 
kids  were  about  two  months  old,  they  were  turned  out  with  the  does 
to  shift  for  themselves.  After  that  the  buck  and  a  small  bunch  of  does 
were  kept  up  until  November.  The  result  was  that  there  were  but  few 
sprouts  left  on  the  stumps,  and  the  same  process  was  repeated  several 
seasons,  or  until  we  moved  the  corrals  to  another  part  of  the  ranch.  The 
third  year  the  hazel  had  entirely  disappeared,  also  the  small-fry  of  other 
brush.  The  stumps  of  the  saplings,  and  small  trees  were  dead  and 
decaying.  Three  years  ago,  we  had  about  ten  acres  of  land  cleared  for 
grazing  purposes.  The  trees,  a  young  growth  of  black  oak  and  a 
springling  of  madrone.  were  cut  down  in  windrows  to  facilitate  burning 
later  on.  The  stumps  of  both  of  these  species  of  trees  are,  if  left  to 
themselves,  the  most  persistent  sprouters  imaginable,  and  the  land  would 
have  been  covered  in  a  few  years,  with  an  almost  impenetrable  mass  of 
brush  and  saplings.  The  land  was  not  fenced,  but  being  on  a  high  ridge, 
it  was   a   favorite   stamping   ground   for   the   goats.      They   roam   over   it 


j6d  ./  Xcic  Induslry. 

nearly  every  day.  The  slumps  are  standing,  but  not  a  sprout  is  to  be 
seen  on  any  of  them.  I  know  a  man  who  had  a  very  l^rushy  tract  of 
100  acres  or  more;  he  turned  about  tliirty  head  of  goats  on  it.  and,  of 
course,  they  failed  to  clear  it,  as  the  area,  was  out  of  all  proportion  to 
the  number  of  animals.  Where  goats  are  to  be  utilized  for  >uch  a 
purpose  it  would  be  necessary  to  enclose  a  tract  of  land  proportionate 
to  the  number  of  animals  at  your  disposal. 

"We  have  dense  brush  thickets,  eight  to  ten  feet  high,  composed 
of  pin-oak.  grease-wood,  manzanita,  and  a  number  of  other  species  of 
brush  wood.  Nothing  but  hogs  go  through  them.  We  open  out  such 
places  with  fire.  With  favorable  wind  and  weather,  a  tire  started  below 
will  sweep  up  a  mountain  side  in  short  order,  leaving  nothing  but  short 
stubles  behind.  When  the  brush  is  not  so  thick  it  will  run  through 
it  and  open  it  out  for  the  goats.  After  that,  if  the  territory  is  not  too 
iarge,  the  goats  will  keep  open  runways  through  it  in  all  directions. 
This  proceeding  gives  lots  of  browse.  In  speaking  to  my  neighbor 
al)out  this  subject  the  other  day,  he  mentioned  a  number  of  farmers  in 
the  valley  who  keep  small  bunches  of  common  goats  for  meat.  They 
have  nice  open  pastures,  while  those  of  their  adjoining  neighbors  who 
keep  none,  are  overrun  with  brush  and  weeds.  He  also  tells  me  that 
his  goats  keep  down  the  mountain  laurel,  or  pepper  wood." 

Dr.  Titttle,  Tacoma,  Wash.  : 

"Confine  goats  to  brush  land  so  th  it  they  c;;nnot  get  iiut,  and  they 
will  eat  all  the  small  brush  that  they  can  reach  and  will  bark  the  smaller 
trees;  and,  if  the  larg°r  ones  are  cut  down,  they  will  keep  all  sprouts  from 
growing  so  that  the  tree  will  soon  die." 

,  Biicoda,  Wash. : 


"My  goats  have  been  confined  in  a  pasture  this  summer,  and  there 
is  fine  maple,  soft  maple,  alder  and  elder  ash,  dogwood,  l)oxwood.  willow, 
hard  hack,  whitefire,  rcdfire,  cedar,  all  of  which  they  eat  freely  of. 
They  have  the  fir  and  cedar  girdled  up  as  high  as  they  can  reach,  and 
about  two  and  a  half  inches  inches  in  diameter;  the  willow  and  other 
liard  woods  up  to  about  four  inches  in  diameter  and  about  five  feet 
high.  They  are  sure  death  to  all  small  brush,  weeds,  and  thistles  (com- 
mon bull   thistle)." 

Mr.  R.  C.  Johnston,  Lawrence,  Kansas,  says: 

"My  experience  in  handling  the  Angora  goat  during  the  past  nine 
months  has  been  that,  those  who  purchased  them  wanted  them  lor  clear- 
ing up  their  pastures  and  brush  land,  more  than  for  anything  else.  My 
personal  experience  in  clearini:- upland  has  been  very  satisfactory.  They 
will  eat  the  leaves  of  every  bush  that  grows  in  Kansas,  and  are  the  only 


Clearing  BnisJiy  Land,  and  How  tlic  Work  is  Done.         ^6/ 

animal  that  will  eat  and  kill  out  buck  biush,  a  bush  that  grows  two  or 
three  feet  high,  and  bears  a  small  berry  in  the  fall.  It  has  runners  like 
the  strawberry.  The  birds  distribute,  and  stock  scatter  the  seed  by 
walking  through  it,  and  the  result  is  it  is  ruining  many  of  our  finest  pas- 
tures. 

"The  Angora  will  eat  all  weeds  that  grow  in  the  State  as  well.  Our 
people  are  just  beginning  to  realize  their  great  value  in  converting  worth- 
less products  of  the  farm  into  gold;  utilizing  that  which  every  farmer 
must  labor  and  spend  money  to  get  rid  of. 

"I  have  found  quite  a  large  demand  for  them  from  the  farmers  in 
Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Iowa,  for  the  same  purpose  as  we  are  using  them 
for.  They  will  bark  some  bush,  like  sumac,  crab  apple,  etc.  I  expect 
to  see  a  very  large  industry  developed  in  this,  and  neighboring  States, 
in  this   valuable   animal. 

"They  can  be  made  to  return  a  much  greater  revenue  from  mohair, 
and  the  sale  of  their  meat,  than  can  possibly  be  made  out  of  sheep.  They 
are  much  hardier,  and  longer  lived;  are  fiee  from  disease;  and  will  live 
upon  what  a  sheep,  horse  or  cow  will  not  touch.  Their  meat  will  bring  very 
near  the  same  price  per  pound,  as  the  sheep.  Indeed,  I  believe  it  will 
soon  bring  more,  for  it  is  superior,  because  it  is  a  much  healthier  animal, 
and  their  meat  will  soon  be  preferred  to  that  of  sheep.  I  have  gone 
far  enough  wth  the  Angora  to  feel  quite  confident  that  it  will  be  a  very 
popular  class  of  stock  with  farmers,  and  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  it 
does  not   displace   the   sheep  in   many   cases." 

Mr.  A.  Lippinciitt,  Sheridan,  Mo.,  says  : 
"Goats  are  used  altogether  for  cleaning  up  brushy  land.  I  couldn't 
say  exactly  the  number  of  head  required  to  the  acre.  They  eat  all  kinds 
of  brush  that  grows  here,  except  hickory  or  walnut.  They  are  death 
on  weeds.  Blue  grass  has  no  attraction  for  them.  They  will  peel  trees 
five  and  six  feet  high." 

Mr.  V/ni.  J.  Seever,  Secretary  Missotiri  Historical  Society, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  says  : 

"I  have  travelled  considerable  through  the  Ozark  (hill)  region  of 
Missouri,  a  country  that,  when  the  timber  is  removed,  will  grow  a  crop 
of  sprouts  and  underbrush  through  which  a  dog  can  hardly  travel.  On 
a  number  of  such  tracts  of  land,  where  small  flocks  of  goats  were  kept,, 
I  could  not  help  but  notice  the  effects  of  their  work.  They  will  absolutely 
clean  it  of  everything  that  they  can  defoliate,  large  saplings  included.. 
Being  the  cfwner  of  a  tract  of  just  such  land  which  was  costing  me 
$6  to  $10  per  acre  to  clean  up,  I  concluded  to  try  the  goats.  My  exper- 
ience has  been  of  but  six  months'  duration,  but  I  am  satisfied  they  are 
invaluable  on   a   well-fenced   farm,   and   will   more   than   repay   their   cost 


j68  A   A'rti'  hiditslry. 

and  keep,  if  kept  only  for  this  purpose.  I  have  but  a  few  head,  mostly 
grades,  and,  on  my  farm.  I  have  never  seen  one  graze.  They  are  also 
inveterate  weed  destroyers,  and  the  only  animal  I  know  of  that  will  eat 
the  Canada  thistle  clear  to  the  roots,  a  weed  pest  which  most  States 
legislate  against,  which  no  four-footed  animal  will  touch,  and  the  two- 
footed   one   likewise,   unless   compelled   to. 

"In  this  brush  country,  the  defoliage  of  the  larger  growth  by  goats 
is  interesting  and  goat  sense  clearly  applied.  I  have  seen,  time  and 
again,  two,  three  or  four  animals,  bear  down  with  their  weight  young 
trees  that  a  single  animal  could  not  bend,  hold  the  tree  in  position  until 
every  leaf  was  eaten  of¥.  This  repeated  once  or  twice  would  kill  it. 
Certain  species  will  be  barked  as  high  as  can  be  reached." 

.Mr.  C.  D.  Tuthill,  Tuthill.  Minn.,  says  : 

"Goats  are  not,  as  yet,  used  to  anv  great  extent  for  killing  out"  brush 
in  Minnesota,  but  they  should  be.  Brushy  land  can  be  cleaned  cheaper 
with  them  than  by  any  other  means,  and  it  is  immaterial  what  kind  of 
brush  it  is." 

Mr.  A.  G.  Wilcox,  Hugo,  Minn.,  says: 

"Goats  have  not  been  used  much  m  our  State  for  clearing  land, 
but  they   certainly   ought   to   be. 

"When  I  first  got  goats  I  had  fences  that  were  all  right  for  sheep 
and  pigs,  but  the  goats  would  go  through  somehow,  and  were  some 
trouble  until  I  put  up  a  woven  wire  (Lamb's)  of  the  Page  type,  and 
that  was  all  right.     No  trouble  since. 

"I  enclosed  twehe  acres  of  open  timber  grown  up  to  oak  and  hazel, 
to  a  height  of  four  to  six  feet.  The  shade  was  too  dense  in  places  to 
grow  any  grass,  but  there  were  some  places  where  the  grass  was  very 
fine.  The  goats  did  not  eat  any  grass,  and  I  turned  in  horses  enough 
to  pasture  it  down  close.  The  goats  began  on  the  brush  and  gradually 
cleaned  it  out,  stripping  off  every  leaf  and  twig,  and  leaving  only  bare 
poles.  By  September  1st,  the  brush  wa^  as  dead,  in  appearance,  as  if 
a  fire  had  swept  through  it,  and  I  do  not  believe  it  will  ever  leaf  out 
again. 

"A  piece  of  about  three  acres  which  was  eaten  out  by  them  last  fall 
is  dead  and  the  brush  is  already  falling  down  and  rotting. 

"They  will  strip  leaves  off  as  high  as  they  can  reach  on  their  hind 
legs. 

"I  think  they  easily  pay  their  way  as  brush  eaters. 

"I  want  mp  pastures  cleared  of  brush  but  I  leave  my  large  trees 
for  shade  as  there  are  only  enough  to  make  a  fine  open  timber 
pasture." 


Clcaritig  Brushy  Land,  and  Hozv  the  Work  is  Done.         jdp 

Air.  C.  S.  Horn  Chicago,  111.,  says :' 

"About  the  first  of  the  year  (1899)  I  purchased  an  eighty-acre  tract 
ol  brush  land  and  was  in  a  quandary  as  to  how  to  get  rid  of  the 
undergrowth  and  shrubs.  In  talking  to  some  friends  regarding  the 
matter,  the  goat  was  suggested  as  being  the  best  means,  and  I  decided 
to  purchase  a  carload  of  them  and  put  them  to  work.  About  May  1st, 
I  received  them,  and  am  highly  pleased  with  the  result  of  the  experi- 
ment. I  believe  they  have  done  more  for  me  than  five  men  would  have 
done  in  the  same  time,  working  ten  hours  a  day.  I  certainly  can  recom- 
mend them  as  being  the  surest  and  best  remedy  for  rough,  unbroken 
pastures.  They  are  willing  workers,  will  not  'strike'  on  you  for  higher 
wages,  and  will  do  excellent  work.  I  shall  probably  want  more  goats 
next  spring." 

Col.  J.  Wash.  Watts,  Montville,  S.  C,  says  : 

"I  never  knew  ol  the  Angora  goat  being  used  for  exterminating 
brush.  I  know  they  prefer  to  browse  rather  than  to  graze,  and  that 
they  soon  clear  their  pastures  of  briars,  brush,  and  weeds,  but  we  had 
too  few  to  depend  on  much  work  of  this  kind. 

"I  have  owned  a  good  many,  from  time  to  time,  but  in  changing 
my  residence  I  let  my  son,  John  D.  Watts,  of  Laurens,  S  C,  have  my 
goats.  Our  trees  are  mostly  oak  and  pine,  which  the  goat  cannot 
'bark,'  but  they  clean  up  briars  and  brush,  willows,  and  such  small 
trees. 

"There  are  so  few  kept  in  our  State  that  very  little  is  known  of 
their  habits." 

Messrs.  Miller  &  Sibley,  Franklin,  Pa.,  say: 

"From  the  experience  we  had  with  the  Angora  goat  we  found  them 
vo  be  invaluable  as  brush  exterminators.  One  hundred  can  do  the 
work  of  six  men. 

"The  ground  should  first  be  cleared,  and  the  goats  will  do  the  rest 
by  keeping  the  sprouts  from  growing.  We  found  they  would  destroy 
everything  e.xcept  poison  laurel." 

Mr.  Lafayette  Holt.  Burlington,  N.  C.  says  : 

"Goats  are  not  common  in  North  Carolina.  They  can  be  made  very 
useful  in  clearing  up  brushy  land.     I  do  not  know  of  any  large  lots. 

"I  am  well  convinced  they  will  clean  up  old  farms  and  brushy  land 
in  fine  shape.  The  great  objection  I  have  to  them  is  they  will  destroy 
my  peach  and  fruit  trees." 


^yo  A   Nczv  Industry. 

Mr.  O.  D.  Hill,  Kendalia,  W.  Va.,  says : 
"Goats  are  not  used  for  clearing  up  brush  in  this  section,  but   I  am 
well  satisfied   they   will   destroy   anything   in   the   shape   of  trees,   bushes, 
briars  or  weeds,  unless  it  may  be  poison  ivy,  and  laurel." 

Mr.  James  A.  Bill,  Bill  Hill  P.  ().,  Conn.,  says  : 

"I  keep  my  goats  (about  75)  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  down 
brush  and  weeds,  principally,  though  I  derive  a  considerable  revenue 
in  selling  males  for  breeding  purposes.  My  experience  has  been  that 
they  are  not  at  all  particular  as  to  what  kind  of  brush  they  have  to 
eat.  They  will  take  most  anything  that  comes  in  their  way.  I  have  been 
breeding  them  for  the  past  thirty  years,  and  have  found  them  the  most 
profitable  part  of  my  farming." 

WEST  TEXAvS.  It  may  appear  strange  to  many  who  have 
always  pictured  Texas  as  one  vast  stretch  of  prairie  that  trees 
and  brush  thickets  are  becoming  very  dense  in  many  portions 
of  the  State,  and,  unless  something  is  done  to  check  the  growth, 
large  sections  will  soon  become  worthless  for  grazing  cattle. 
This  is  more  particularly  the  case  in  the  Southwest,  beyond  the 
Colorado  River ;  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  this  growth  has 
taken  place  in  the  last  twenty-five  years.  I  can  very  well  remem- 
ber when  it  was  possible  to  distinguish  an  animal  as  far  as  the 
eyesight  could  reach,  in  places  that  are  now  so  thickly  covered 
with  mesquite.  live  oak  shin  oak.  sumac,  etc..  that  it  is  impossible 
even  to  ride  a  horse  through  it. 

The  explanation  of  this  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fencing  of 
a  country  which  was  formerly  open,  and  the  home  of  the  bufifalo 
and  other  wild  game ;  to  hunt  which,  the  high  prairie  grass 
would  have  to  be  burned  off  every  fall  and  winter.  Travellers,  too, 
would  often  set  fire  to  the  grass  from  their  camp  fifes  by  acci- 
dent, which  would,  sometimes,  burn  for  weeks  at  a  time,  killing 
all  kinds  of  vegetation.  This  is,  no  doubt,  the  way  that  all  tree 
life  in  this  section  of  Texas  had  been  destroyed  which  is  now 
coming  back,  because  the  ranchmen  are  careful  to  guard  against 
fires  getting  started  within  their  enclosed  ranches. 

There  has  never  been  any  attempt  made  toward  removing 
this  growth  of  brush,  but  it  is  quite  evident  the  time  is  very 
near  when  some  agency  must  be  employed  to  do  so,  or  many 
of  our  finest  cattle  ranches  will  have  to  be  abandoned. 


Clearing  Brushy  Laud  and  Hcnv  the  Work  is  Done.  ?// 

Mr.  Wm.  R.  McKee,  of  Junction  City,  Kimble  County, 
tells  me  that  he  has  some  neighbors  who  have  cleaned  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  brush  land  such  as  shin  oak,  live  oak,  sumac, 
etc.,  by  the  aid  of  the  goat,  and  that  he  had  done  so'  himself 
with  a  portion  of  the  land  he  is  now  cultivating  on  the  Llano 
River.     He  says  : 

"Cut  down  all  brush  and  then  turn  in  the  goats  and  they  will  keep 
down  the  young  sprouts.  Let  the  goats  remain  on  the  ground  one-half 
the  day  in  the  spring  up  to  October  1st. 

"It  takes  about   seven   goats  to   the  acre. 

"My  neighbors,  B.  F.  Pepper,  and  J.  D.  Armstrong  (since  deceased). 
have  cleared  considerable  land  in  this  way.  They  will  exterminate 
everything  except  the  mesquite  in  two  years'  time." 

Mr.  B.  L.  Crouch,  Pearsall,  Texas,  says  : 

"The  black  chapparell  in  this  portion  of  the  State  is  too  stubborn 
for  the  goats  to  destroy  to  any  extent  though  they  will  check  its 
spread.  They  are  a  success  destroying  the  cockle-burr,  in  fields,  and 
pastures." 

It  is  not  unlikely  if  the  black  chapparell  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Crouch  was  first  cut  down  and  burned,  as  is  done  in  Oregon,  it 
would  greatly  assist  the  goat  in  getting  rid  of  the  growth. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

HOW  TO  TELL  THE  AGE  OF  AN  ANGOKA  GOAT. 

The  age  of  an  Angora  goat  may  be  learned,  approximately, 
by  an  examination  of  their  teeth,  which  are  thirty-two  in  number, 
(twenty-four  grinders,  and  eight  incissorsjthe  same  as  with  sheep. 
The  eight  incissors  are  located  on  the  lower  front  jaw  bone,  six 
of  which  are  born  with  the  animal,  and  two,  (one  on  either  end 
of  the  set)  a  few  months  after  birth.  There  are  no  teeth  on  the 
upper  front  jaw.)  The  eight  incissors  arc  first  called  "Milk 
/rr//;,"  which  disappear,  and  are  replaced  l:)y  a  permanent  set,  as 
the  animal  advances  in  life. 

The  first  two,  (the  central  and  largest)  become  loose  and  are 
pushed  out  by  two  new  teeth  within  a  year  or  eighteen  months 
after  birth,  when  it  is  called  a  "yearling""  or  "two  tooth." 

The  second  two,  (on  either  side  of  the  first,)  are  next  re- 
moved in  about  two  or  two  and  one-half  years,  when  the  animal 
is  said  to  be  a  "two-year-old." 

The  third  two,  (on  either  side  of  the  second, )when  the  ani- 
mal is  between  three  and  three  and  half  years  of  age,  and  then  it 
is  called  a  "three-year-old." 

The  fourth  two,  (on  either  end  of  the  whole  set,)  when  the 
animal  is  four  years  old,  and  over,  when  it  is  called  a  "full 
month."" 

After  this  period,  the  age  must  be  guessed  at,  and  can  only 
be  conjectured  through  the  general  appearance  of  the  animal, 
the  character  of  the  horns,  and  condition  of  the  teeth.  At  the 
age  of  four,  the  animal  is  supposed  to  be  in  its  prime,  after  which 
it  will  begin  to  descend  in  the  scale  of  vitality,  and  as  a 
producer  of  mohair,  though  the  changes  will  be  so  slight  as  to  be 
hardly  observable  from  year  to  year. 


Hoiv  to   Tell  the  Age  of  an  Angora  Goof.  373 

The  incissor  teeth  will  sooner  or  later  begin  to  wear  on  top, 
and  will  gradnally  wear  away  until  they  are  mere  stubbs,  and 
quite  even  with  the  gums  of  the  mouth,  wliich,  ordinarily,  takes 
]3lace  about  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age,  when  they  are  called 
"toothless."  This  wearing  process,  however,  is  governed 
by  the  character  of  food  the  animal  has  to  eat. 
If  it  has  very  little  sand,  or  grit,  the  teeth 
will  probably  remain  sound  for  a  much  longer  time. 
Fifteen  and  sixteen  years,  is  not  an  unconmion  age  for  goats  to 
keep  their  teeth  in  fairly  good  shape ;  and  if  they  have  clean, 
soft,  food  to  eat  there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  remain 
even  longer  than  this.  Many  instances  of  twenty,  and  twenty- 
two  years  are  known. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  incissor  teeth  are  about  the 
same  in  all  goats,  but  are  smaller  in  some  than  others  ;  and. 
the  two  end  teeth,  are  sometimes  very  small  indeed. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


HOW  TO  FEED  ANGORA  GOATS  FOR  MARKET. 

The  Angora  is  a  quick  feeder,  and  will  take  on  more  flesh 
than  a  sheep  in  the  same  length  of  time.  The  best  age  to  feed 
is  after  they  have  reached  maturity,  or  between  four  and  six,  al- 
though they  will  fatten  easily  at  any  age.  They  take  to  any 
kind  of  grain  almost  as  soon  as  they  are  placed  in  the  feed-lot 
and  will,  consequently  shrink  very  little,  owing  to  their  changed 
condition  of  life. 

Two  bushels  of  corn,  with  as  much  clean  timothy,  or  clover, 
hay  as  they  want,  ought  to  put  them  in  prime  shape,  fed  in  six- 
ty days.  Corn  should  be  fed  lightly  at  first,  say  one  quarter  to 
one-half,  pound  for  the  first  few  days  and  gradually  increased  for 
a  week  or  ten  days  when  they  should  have  all  they  can  eat. 
When  corn  is  fed  on  the  cob,  the  cob  should  be  broken  in  two,  or 
more  pieces.  Wheat  screenings  makes  a  very  fine  feed.  Indeed, 
the  Angora  will  do  well  on  any  kind  of  grain.  They 
should  have  free  access  to  water,  and  hay  and  a  shelter  to  go  in 
and  out  at  will.  If  they  are  troubled  with  lice  they  shoud  be  dip- 
ped, (see  "Lice  on  Goats")  as  the  continued  itching  interferes  with 
their  feeding  properly.  The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Jas.  R. 
Hamilton  of  San  Angelo, Texas,  who  has  perhaps  fed  and  shipped 
more  sheep  and  Angora  goats  than  any  single  shipper  in  the  State 
of  Texas  during  the  past  ten  years,  will  give  his  views  about 
Cotton  Seed  Meal  and  Hulls  as  a  fattening  feed : 

"San  Angelo,  Texas.   Nov.  25th,   1899. 
"Wni.  L.  Black,  Ft.  McKavett,  Texas. 

"Dear  Sir — Answering  your  favor  of  19th,  in  regard  to  feeding  goats 
will  say,  I  consider  cotton  seed  meal  and  hulls  the  best  feed  for  goats, 
or  mutton  either.     I  think  the  winter  time  is  the  best  time  to  feed  and 


Hiw  Fed   for  Market.  J75 

the  animals  should  be  put  on  feed  before  they  shrink  too  mucli  with  cold 
weather  and  bad  range.  If  in  fair  flesh  when  put  on  feed,  sixty  to  seven- 
ty days  will  finish  them.  If  fat  they  will  always  sell  on  the  market 
about  fifty  cents  per  hundred  lower  than  fat  sheep.  You  should  begin 
to  feed  about  one  quarter  of  a  pound  of  meal  to  three  of  hulls  and  in- 
crease the  ratio  of  meal,  proportionally,  for  fifteen  days,  at  that  time, 
would  aim  to  have  the  ratio  of  meal  about  one  pound  to  two  and  a  half 
•of  hulls  per  day  per  head. 

■"Yours  truly, 

"J.  R.  HAMILTON." 

Mr.  S.  S.  McKibbin  of  Earlham,  Madison  County,   Iowa, 
writes  as  follows  : 

"I  have  fed  the  Angora  goat  wether  for  market  and  was  agreeably 
•surprised  at  the  rapidity  with  which  they  can  be  fattened.  If  they  are 
received  in  the  spring,  and  are  allowed  to  run  on  our  hazel  thickets  until 
fall,  it  will  take  but  very  little  corn  to  'finish'  them.  If  taken  direct  from 
the  rang'j  it  is  best  to  start  in  slow  and  gradually  increase  the  feed.  I 
started  with  one-half  pound  corn  to  the  ration  and  gradually  increased 
this  until  I  gave  them  free  access  to  the  feed  and  I  think  two  pounds  a 
day  is  all  that  a  goat  will  require.  They  can  be  made  ready  for  market 
in  sixty  days.  I  had  a  plain  straw  shed  in  the  lot  for  shelter,  and  a  stack 
of  hay  and  oat  straw  for  them  to  go  to  at  will." 

Mr.  R.  C.  Johnston,  Lawrence,  Kansas,  says  : 

"I  fed  and  fattened  oOO  wethers  last  fall  and  am  feeding  500  mort 
now  (April,  l!)(Hi).  I  have  been  surprised  to  see  how  easily  and  rapid- 
ly they  can  be  fattened  on  corn.  I  feed  shelled  corn  and  wheat  straw. 
They  fatten  in  one-third  less  time  than  sheep  and  my  exeperience  has 
been  so  satisfactory  I  intend  feeding  goats  hereafter  for  the  profit  in 
feeding." 

'^Nlr.  Tyson  of  Blair,  Nebraska,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  A.  L.  Johns 
of  Chicago,  which  may  be  read  under  Chapter  XV.  on  "Angora 


"That   his  profits  had  been  fully  as  great  taking  into   consideration 
the  money  invested,  as  he  ever  made  in  feeding  sheep." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

DISEASES   OF    THE   ANGORA   GOAT. 

If  there  is  any  one  feature,  above  another,  that  should  com- 
mend the  Angora  goat  to  the  American  farmer,  it  is  his  complete 
immunity  from  disease.  They  have  been  handled  in  the  United 
States  for  over  fifty  years,  in  the  North.  South,  East  and  West, 
with  the  same  uniform  exemption  from  sickness,  a  record  that 
no  other  kind  of  live  stock  can  boast  of  in  this,  or  any  other  coun- 
try. 

In  South  Africa  they  are  subject  to  both  scab  and  pleuro- 
pneumonia, or  a  contagious  lung-sickness,  supposed  to  have 
been  communicated  to  their  goats  by  some  imported  stock  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  1880 ;  and.  although  prompt  measures  were 
used  to  check  the  spread  of  the  disease  it  had  so  good  a  start,  it 
was  impossible  to  stop  it  until  a  large  number  of  the  animals  had 
died,  or  were  slaughtered,  estimated  to  have  been  38,200  head 

Referring  to  this  unfortunate  affair  Mr.  Schreiner  says  : 

"Pleuro-pneumonia  is  indigenous  lo  Asia  Alinor.  being  most  com- 
mon and  dangerous  in  low-lying  anc?  damp  situations.  It  does  not 
exist  always  in  a  severe  form,  but  at  times  it  assumes  an  epidemic  charac- 
ter, and  a  most  virulent  and  deadly  form  sweeping  the  Angoras  off  by 
hundreds  of  thousands.  There  is  no  record  of  it  having  appeared  out 
of  the  country  to  which  it  is  indigenous,  except  in  the  outbreak  in 
the  Cape  Colony.  On  its  appearance  here  it  was  quite  unknown  to  vet- 
erinary science,  so  Mr.  Hutcheon  had  to  break  new  ground.  It  is  a  con- 
tagious disease,  closely  analogous :to  pluero-pneumonia  in  horned  cattle; 
and  if  it  had  not  been  promptly  stamped  out,  would  have  obtained  a  gen- 
eral hold  on  the  Angoras  of  this  country,  and  have  needed  ceaseless 
combating,  just  as  lung  sickness  in  cattle  does.  In  time,  like  other  dis- 
eases which  are  so  deadly  on  their  first  introduction  to  a  new  country, 
it  would  probably  have  assumed  a  milder  form;  but  it  needs  no  argu- 
ment to  prove  that  Mr.  Hutcheon  did  the  country  an  inestimable  ser- 
vice in  eradicating  it  at   once. 


Diseases  of  the  A)igora  Goat.  jyr 

"The  disease  in  the  Colony  was  in  a  most  virulent  form;  every  goat 
in  every  flock  in  which  it  appeared  was  attacked,  and  the  mortality 
running  sometimes  as  high  as  eighty  per  cent.  The  death  rate  was  high- 
est among  those  first  attacked  in  any  flock,  probably  because  they  wen. 
peculiarly  susceptible,  and  lowest  among  those  last  attacqed.  It  is  a  dis- 
ease conveyed  by  direct  contagion  and  not  an  infectious  one.  The 
germs  are  not  conveyed  great  distances  by  the  wind.  The  course  it 
runs  may  be  divided  into  two  periods:  First,  a  period  of  incubation, 
or  latency,  from  seven  to  ten  days;  second,  in  full  strength,  from  ten  to- 
thirteen  days,  the  e.xact  course  depending  on  the  susceptibility  of  the 
animal. 

"It  is  remarkable  how  long  the  disease  was  latent  in  the  imported 
goats.  Some  of  them  were  observed  to  have  it  when  the  consignment 
left  Constantinople  in  the  last  of  October.  It  did  not  break  out  during 
the  voyage,  nor  was  it,  in  the  first  instance,  observed  among  the  imported 
goats  in  the  Colony.  In  both  outbreaks  it  appeared  among  Colonial 
flocks  as  soon  as  the  imported  goats  were  put  to  them,  at  Mount  Stew- 
art, at  the  end  of  December,  and  in  Bedford  a  month  later,  two  and  three 
months  after  the  shipment  left  Turkey.  The  fact  that  it  did  not  break 
out  during  the  voyage  and  until  Colonial  flocks  became  infected,  may 
perhaps  be  accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that  some  of  the  imported 
goats  having  had  the  disease  in  Turkey,  retained  diseased  lungs,  as  is 
sometimes  the  case  with  horned  cattle  here,  that  have  recovered  from 
lung  sickness  and  yet  are  capable  of  infecting  healthy  cattle,  because 
their  lungs  remain  more  or  less  locally  injured  and  diseased  for  a  long 
time.  With  regard  to  others,  it  would  seem  that  they  had  either  had 
the  disease  and  recovered,  or  that  coming  from  a  country  where  it  is  al- 
ways prevalent,  to  some  extent,  often  in  mild  form,  they  were  not  very 
susceptible.  If  the  report  be  true  that,  after  the  Mount  Stewart  out- 
break, several  of  Mr.  Evans'  imported  rams,*  which  had,  so  far,  been 
healthy,  contracted  the  disease  and  died,  the  above  supposition  would 
seem  to  have  strong  support;  it  would  seem  to  prove  that  such  animals 
had  somehow  secured  an  immunity  in  Turkey,  but  that  the  disease 
having  been  conveyed  to  the  Cape  flocks  had  acquired  a  virulency  sc 
potent  that  the  immunity  they  had  hitherto  enjoyed  was  not  capable 
of  being  sustained.  But,  whatever  the  explanation,  it  is  certain  that  these 
goats  brought  the  disease  from  Turkey.  South  Africa  should  guard 
itself  well  against  its  reintroducton."     See   Schreiner,   pp.   I'l'^-I'l-i^: 

It  is  quite  possible,  as  Mr.  Schreiner  says,  that,  the  Turkish 
goats  carried  the  disease  to  Cape  Colony,  but  it  would  be  very 
hard  to  convince  an  American  jury  to  think  so  from  the  explan- 


*It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  this  is  intended  to  refer  to  a  goat  or  a 
sheep,  which  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  importance  of  using  the  terni:> 
"buck"   for   male   and   "doe"   for   female   goats. 


j;78  A    Xi-xv    Industry 

^tion  that  he  makes.  It  is  to  l)e  hoped  they  may  never  have 
any  more  such  trouble  but  it  would  be  well  for  American  breed- 
ers to  keep  both  Turkish  and  Cape  Colony  goats  in  quarantine 
for  a  reasonable  time  after  arrival  if  they  should  import  any,  in 
order  to  be  certain  they  are  entirely  free  from  both  pleuro-pneu- 
monia,  scab  and  Asiatic  mange,  all  of  which  diseases  they  seem 
to  be  liable  to.  Whatever  the  cause  may  be,  the  United  vStates  is 
certainly  favored  over  all  other  nations  in  breeding  Angoras  for, 
Avith  the  exception  of  a  few  minor  complaints,  not  a  single  breed- 
er in  any  of  the  States,  has  ever  discovered  any  sickness  among 
ihem. 

SCAB. 

This  very  troublesome  disease  seems  to  be  natural  with 
sheep,  but  the  insect  that  produces  it  will  not  live  on  a  goat.  I 
liave  kept  Angoras  in  a  flock  of  sheep  that  were  infected  with 
scab,  for  weeks  at  a  time,  and  have  never  seen  the  slightest  in- 
dication of  the  disease  on  any  of  them,  and  have  never  heard  of 
•a  breeder  who  has  known  of  their  having  it. 

Mr.  Schreiner  says : 

■'The  Boer  goats  are  subject  to  a  very  virulent  kind  of  scab,  pro- 
duced by  a  different  acarus  to  that  which  affects  Angoras.  In  the  early 
days,  when  it  was  not  understood  how  to  cope  with  scab,  and  when  there 
were  no  dipping  tanks,  it  was  not  uncommon  in  a  severe  drought,  for 
■Avhole  flocks  to  be  exterminated  by  this  disease.    See  Schreiner  page  174." 

Asiatic  scab  is  said  to  have  been  brought  to  this  country  by 
an  importation  made  by  Mr.  Eutichedes  in  1870.  Referring  to 
it  in  a  pamphlet  published  in  1872  by  Maj.  Wm.  E.  Sweet,  assis- 
ted by  Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  the  latter  gentleman  says : 

■'Mr.  Eutichedes  did  not  know  anything  about  the  disease  until 
his  goats  were  found  dying  off  at  a  fearful  rate  with  it.  He  wrote  to 
Asia  for  a  remedy  and  was  advised  to  use  sulphur  and  lime,  in  a  hot  bath, 
iDut  it  failed  to  effect  a  cure.  I  gave  him  a  remedy.  Tobacco,  and  cor- 
rosive sublimate.  I  have  heard  of  but  twelve  dying  since,  which  were 
too  far  gone  to  recover." 

Regarding  the  remedv    Mr.  Landrum  says  : 

"(100)  One  hundred  pounds  of  strong  tobacco.  (400)  four  hundred 
:gallons  of  water,  (10)  ten  ounces  corrosive  sublimate  dissolved  in  double 


Diseases  of  the  Angora  Goat.  379- 

the  quantity  of  sal  amoniac.  with  warm  water,  or  a  tobacco  decoction 
and  mix  the  whole  before  dipping.  Pulverize  the  medicine  frst,  as  it 
dissolves  faster.     The  dip  should  be  warm  when  used." 

And  he  adds  : 

"We  may  never  be  troubled  again.  There  are  several  remedies 
that  will  cure  the  scab  if  taken  in  time.  In  fact,  most  of  the  remedies 
used  for  scab  in  sheep  will  cure  the  mange,  or  scab  in  goats  if  applied 
strong  enough.  Tar  and  grease  is  good  but  the  remedy  is  rather  ex- 
pensive and  tedious.  Tobacco  and  corrosive  sublimate  is  cheapest 
and  most  eflfective,  and  will  never  hurt  the  goat  unless  he  gets  strangled 
by  plunging  and  swallows  too  much  of  the  decoction.  Too  much  sub- 
limate will  produce  irritation  and  kill  the  goat.  The  parasite  of  the  scab 
in  goats  is  a  different  parasite  from  that  in  sheep  and  does  not  readily 
if  ever,  take  hold  of  a  sheep." 

WORMS. 

Goats  are  seldom  troubled  with  worms  internally,  or  in  the 
nose,  as  sheep  are;  but,  like  all  other  animals  in  the  South,  are 
subject  to  have  an  attack  from  the  scrczc-zvorm,  if  they  are  in- 
jured in  a  manner  that  will  cause  blood  to  flow.  At  shearing- 
time  this  is  common,  unless  the  shearers  are  careful  not  to  cut 
the  skin. 

These  worms  are  produced  from  an  egg.  deposited  on  the 
cut,  by  a  large,  green  fly,  called  a  bloiv-fly,  which  prevails  only  in 
hot  weather,  and  are  especially  troublesome  in  Texas. 

Chloroform  is  a  quick,  and  eflfective  remedy,  and  calomel  is, 
also;  but,  these  are  more  expensive  than  carboUc  ointment,, 
which  is  more  commonly  used,  as  well  as  some  of  the  prepared 
sheep-dips,  for  curing  scab,  particularly  "Cannon's  Dip,"  which 
will  destroy  them  very  promptly. 

Tape  woi'uis  are  occasionally  found,  though  very  seldom., 
if  the  animals  are  kept  in  a  thriving  condition.  Turpentine  ad- 
ministered in  half  ounce  doses  upon  an  empty  stomach  will  be 
found  effective.  Regular  salting,  with  plenty  to  eat  will  be  found 
the  best  way  to  prevent  goats  from  having  tape  worms. 

FOOT-ROT. 

Some  American  breeders  have  reported  that  their  goats  are 
troubled  with  foot-rot,  which  is  no  doubt  the  case,  if  they  have 
been  allowed  to  range  on  marshy  land,  but  it  is  more  than  like- 


j8o  A    Xcic    Industry. 

ly  most  of  the  cases  are  onl}-  sore  feet  produced  from  wading  in 
water,  or  walking  over  damp  grass,  caused  either  by  rain  or 
heavy  dew.  which  is  quite  common.  This,  however,  will  seldom 
last  very  long  after  the  animal  has  been  moved  to  a  dry  range. 

There  is  no  doul^t  but  that  foot-rot  will  result  from  confin- 
ing thd  animals  to  a  pasture  that  has  very  damp  soil. 

Poii'dered  blue  stoue,  after  first  trimming  the  hoof,  will  effect 
a  cure :  or  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  sik'er.  Fine  tar  is  also  a  very 
good  remedy. 

SCOURS. 

Are  likewise  mentioned  by  some  breeders  which  is  usually 
the  result  of  something  the  animal  has  eaten,  and  can  be  corrected 
by  removing  the  flock  to  a  different  range.  ()r,  if  only  a  few 
goats  are  affected,  by  taking  these  out  of  the  flock,  and  giving 
them  dry  feed  for  a  few  days. 

POVERTY    IN    WINTER. 

Poverty  is  perhaps  the  most  fruitful  cause  for  much  of  the 
•so-called  sickness  that  the  American  goats  have.  It  is  very  un- 
wise to  permit  goats  to  get  very  poor  in  flesh  if  it  is  at  all  possi- 
ble to  avoid  it,  and  a  little  money  expended  in  grain,  or  cotton- 
seed, wall  often  return  a  very  large  profit  by  saving  the  lives  of 
goats  that  would  otherwise  die  for  the  want  of  sufficient  nourish- 
ment during  the  winter. 

During  the  winter  of  189S)  some  alarm  was  created  among 
a  few  Oregon  breeders,  caused  by  what  seemed  to  be  a  new  kind 
of  disease,  and  in  referring  to  the  matter  the  "Oregon  Agricul- 
turist and  Rural  Northwest"  of  Portland,  says  : 

"A  number  of  Angora  goats  have  been  received  at  the  Oregon 
Experiment  Station  this  winter  which  were  supposed  to  be  attacked 
by  the  disease  reported  in  many  localities  last  winter.  Post  mortem 
examination  of  these  goats  failed  to  disclose  any  new  disease.  One 
of  them  was  found  to  be  wholly  sound  internally:  another  was  affected 
Avith  tape  worm,  while  another  had  an  afifected  liver.  Dr.  Withycombe 
is  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  mortality  among  the  goats  is  for  the 
most  part  due  to  no  special  disease,  but  a  low  condition  of  the  system 
at  this  time   of   the   vear   which   makes   them   easily   succumb   to   various 


Diseases  of  flic  A)igora  Goat.  ^8i 

diseases,    colds,    etc.     He    recommends    as    a  preventive    more    care    in 

providing    food    and    shelter    from    the    rains.  The    Experiment    Station 

will,   however,    continue    the    investigation    of  the    matter   as   thoroughly 
as  possible." 

The  same  paper  adds: 

"Dr.  McLean,  State  Veterinarian,  a  few  days  ago  visited  Marion 
County  to  ascertain  what  was  the  trouble  with  a  f^ock  of  goats,  one- 
third  of  which  had  died  within  a  few  days.  He  pronounced  the  trouble 
a  dietic  one  resulting  from  improper  and  insufficient  food  and  advised 
the  changing  of  the  goats  to  another  pasture  in  which  brush  was  abun- 
dant.    After  the  change,  so  far  as  heard  from,  no  deaths  occurred." 

CHANGE    OF    CLIMATE. 

Some  cases  of  sickness,  and  death,  have  been  occasioned  by 
moving  Angoras  from  the  South  to  the  North  during  the  winter 
months.  This  is  not  at  all  unreasonable  when  we  reflect  upon 
the  radical  change  that  the  animal  is  called  upon  to  undergo. 
Mr.  S.  S.  McKibbin  of  Earlham,  Iowa,  has  had  considerable  ex- 
perience in  this  respect,  and  says: 

"I  have  never  lost  a  goat  when  they  were  taken  to  Iowa  in  the  spring 
or  summer,  but  have  invariably  lost  more  or  less  when  they  were  re- 
ceived   during    cold    weatther." 

PILHS 

Or  something  of  a  like  nature,  will  sometimes  appear  in 
goats,  more  partictilarly  on  old  ones,  though  it  will  occasionally 
be  seen  on  young  does.  A  good  remedy  is  to  tie  a  string,  tight, 
around  the  part  exposed,  and  let  it  slough  off.  Or  it  might  be 
cut  off,  and  seared  with  a  red  hot  iron,  if  it  should  bleed  too 
much. 

ABORTION. 

Goats  are  rarely  troubled  with  abortion  unless  they  have 
eaten  something  that  disagrees  with  them  during  the  period 
of  gestation.  A  sudden  change  of  weather,  over-feeding,  pastur- 
ing on  frosty  herbage,  sudden  alarm,  or,  being  chased  by  a  dog, 
or  wild  animal,  may  produce  abortion. 


^82  A    Xczc    Industry. 

A  goat  is  very  fond  of  acorns,  and  wlien  these  are  abnndant 
will  often  gorge  themselves  with  them  which,  frequentiv  causes 
them  to  abort. 

A  doe  if  regularly  fed  and  watered,  and  kept  well  protected 
from  stormy  weather  will  seldom  miscarry . 

POISONING. 

Will  occur  once  in  a  while  from  eating  some  kind  of  weed, 
or  bush,  but  will  rarely  ever  kill  the  animal. 

A  dose  of  castor  oil,  linseed  oil  or  other  purgati^•e  mefli- 
cine,  will  usually  afford  relief. 

Kattic  snake  bites  are  less  frequent  than  one  would  suppose 
they  would  be  in  some  sections  of  the  United  States.  This  will 
always  cause  great  inflammation  and  will  surely  result  in  death 
if  an  artery  is  cut ;  but,  when  this  is  not  the  case,  the  animal  will 
recover  in  a  day  or  two. 

The  most  common  remedy  is  to  pick,  or  puncture,  the  swol- 
len part  with  some  sharp  pointed  instrument,  for  which  purpose 
the  Mexican  herders  think  the  leaves  of  the  "Spanish  dagger," 
(a  plant  common  to  Southwest  Texas  and  Mexico)  is  the  best. 

If  the  bite  is  seared  wuth  a  red-hot  iron,  or  is  burned  with 
a  lighted  match,  or  some  other  flame,  in  order  to  produce  a  blis- 
ter, it  will  have  the  effect  to  draw  out  the  poison,  and  if  this  is 
repeated  several  times  (always  breaking  the  blister  and  washing 
the  parts  before  making  another)  it  will  draw  out  all  the  virus 
deposited  by  the  snake,  but  of  course  this  remedy  ^iiust  be  used 
immediately  after  the  animal  has  been  bitten,  as  otherwise  the 
poison  will  be  too  much  distributed  through  the  system  to  be 
withdrawn  by  the  action  of  the  heat. 

LICE   ON   CxOATS. 

This  can  not  properly  be  called  a  disease  as  it  is  not  consti- 
tutional, and  is  very  similar  to  fleas  on  a  dog,  or  lice  on  a  chicken. 
They  are  easily  seen  and  can  be  readily  removed ;  but,  as  a  gen- 
eral thing  the  American  breeders  have  paid  but  little  attention 
to  the  matter  until  quite  recently,  when  a  number  have  conclu- 
ded it  is  best  to  dip  the  animal  in  some  kind  of  solution  to  re- 
move them. 


Diseases  of  the  Ajigora  Goaf.  ^8j 

Tlie  only  evil  effects  resulting  from  lice  is  a  continual  itch- 
ing, which  prompts  the  animal  to  scratch  itself,  with  its  horns, 
no  doubt  causing  more  or  less  loss  of  hair,  as  well  as  to  disar- 
range the  fleece.  If  the  animal  is  relieved  oi  this  annoy- 
ance it  will  naturally  thrive  better ;  and,  when  it  is  intended 
to  be  fed  for  market,  a  good  dipping  will  certainly  be  worth  much 
more  than  one-half  the  feed.  Indeed  it  is  very  doubtful  if  a  goat 
will  ever  be  able  to  reach  its  best  condition  in  flesh  as  long  as 
it  is  troubled  with  lice. 

I  sold  a  thousand  head  of  young  wethers  to  Mr.  William 
Hatcher,  an  extensive  feeder  of  sheep  in  Sycamore,  Illinois,  in 
1898,  that  were  not  taking  on  fat  as  well  as  he  thought  they 
should,  and,  after  running  them  through  a  dipping  vat  they  im- 
proved with  remarkable  rapidity. 

The  kind  of  dip  to  use  is  altogether  a  matter  of  choice. 
Many  of  the  sheep  dips  will  kill  lice  but  some  are  more  expensive 
than  others,  and  some  very  troublesome  to  prepare. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  of  Platteville,  has  always  found  arsenic 
the  most  practical  remedy,  which  is  said  to  remove  lice  so  ef- 
fectually as  to  make  it  unnecessary  to  dip  more  than  once  in 
two  years.  One  pound  of  arsenic  to  sixteen  gallons  of  water 
are  the  proportions  he  recommends. 

Li)nc  a)id  sulphur  will  kill  them,  but  it  is  very  liable  to  blind 
the  goat. 

Tobacco  and  corrosii'c  siibliiuafe  has  been  recommended.  (See 
remedy  under  head  of  Scab). 

The  carbolic  dips  will  doubtless  remove  them  as  well. 

In  South  Africa  the  "Cooper  Dip,"  is  almost  the  uiliversal 
remedy,  which  is  composed  largely  of  arsenic. 

A  great  variety  of  these  dips  are  on  the  American  markets, 
and  it  would  certainly  be  wise  for  breeders  of  the  Angora  goat  to 
use  them.  There  is  very  little  doubt  in  my  opinion,  but  that 
the  increased  growth  of  fleece,  which  is  always  incident  to  an 
improved  condition  of  the  animal,  will  more  than  return  the 
cost  of  dipping,  to  say  nothing  of  the  more  attractive  appear- 
ance of  the  fleece,  and  the  great  relief  that  it  will  naturally  afford 
the  poor  animal. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
-      CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  ANGORA   GOAT 

In  pastures.  If  you  are  raising  goats  in  an  enclosed  pasture 
it  is  only  necessary  to  see  that  your  fencing  is  of  a  kind  that  will 
keep  them  within  bounds,  and  that  you  have  sufficient  brush, 
and  water  for  them  to  subsist  on. 

'A  shed  or  house,  to  shelter  them  in,  in  bad  weather,  is  a 
necessity  in  the  Northern  States;  but,  in  a  warm  climate  this  can 
he  dispensed  with,  though  it  is  better  to  provide  something  of 
the  kind  there,  as  well ;  for,  a  few  cold  rainy  days  will  reduce  the 
flesh  on  a  goat  much  more  than  twice  the  number  of  days  of 
starvation  will  do ;  and,  besides  this,  it  is  always  well  to  have 
shelter  for  them  after  shearing,  and  for  the  little  kids  during 
the  kidding  season.  A  very  good  way  to  economize  on  space  in 
making  shelter  for  goats  is  to  build  platforms  in  the  order  of 
steps,  sloping  to  the  eves  of  the  roof.  The  first  step,  or  platform, 
should  be  three  feet  from  the  ground,  which  the  goats  will  soon 
learn  to  jump;  the  remainder  need  only  be  one  foot  high,  which 
will  admit  of  three  platforms,  or  steps,  three  feet  wide,  for  a  ten 
foot  wide,  shed,  seven  feet  high,  which,  practically,  gives  nearly 
twice  the  capacity  of  the  ground  space.  Goats  are  very  fond 
of  a  high  place  to  sleep  on,  and  they  will  all  want  the  "upper 
Ijerth." 

Salt  should  be  given  at  regular  intervals,  say  once  a  week, 
unless  it  is  arranged  so  they  can  get  it  whenever  they  want  it, 
which  is  the  better  plan,  and  with  a  small  number,  is  more  eco- 
nomical. Rock  salt  is  very  good,  though  I  have  always  preferred 
to  use  granulated. 

With  these  provisions,  the  instinct  of  the  animal  will  guide 
it  better  than  you  can ;  the  fleece  will  be  heavier,  and  the  animal 
will  keep  in  much  better  condition  than  under  herd.     A  goat  is 


PLATE  XXXV 


THOROUGHBRED  ANGORA  KIDS- 
Bred  and  raised  l>.v  Mr.  .Iiio.  S.  Harris.  ( )akle.v,  Idaho,  from 


AFTER  WEANING. 

;tock  imported  from  Asia  Minor  i 


Care  and  Maiiagciucnf  of  the  Angora  Goaf.  j8/ 

naturally  very  domestic,  and  will  soon  become  attached  to  home- 
surroundings  ;  and,  if  a  shed  is  provided  will  seek  it  whenever 
it  is  necessary,  but  unless  it  is  a  very  bad  night,  they  will  prefer 
to  bed  outside  in  the  open  air. 

Pasturing  zvitJi  other  stoek  makes  no  difiference  whatever,  and 
is  rather  an  advantage,  as  the  goat  will  eat  what  a  cow  or  horse 
will  leave,  and  the  removal  of  the  brush,  briars,  and  weeds,  will 
make  the  pasturage  much  better.  If  there  should  be  any  hogs 
in  the  enclosure  they  should  be  removed  during  the  kidding  per- 
iod, or  they  are  liable  to  devour  many  of  the  young  kids  soon 
after  birth,  or  during  the  first  few  weeks  of  their  lives.  They  are 
very  sleepy  little  things  and  will  seek  a  shady  spot  and  sleep  for 
hours  at  a  time  until  they  are  two  or  three  months  old  when  they 
will  begin  to  follow  the  mother  in  her  daily  rounds.  Sheep  may 
be  run  in  the  same  pasture  with  Angoras  without  any  danger  of 
their  crossing. 

Dogs  are  not  liable  to  kill  a  goat  if  there  are  a  number  of 
grown  wethers  or  bucks  in  the  flock.  When  they  make  an  at- 
tack, the  goats  generally  bunch  together,  and  the  younger  ones, 
get  under  cover  of  the  wethers,  whose  defiant  air  will  soon  in- 
timidate the  dog ;  but,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  there  is 
no  loss  from  this  source.  Oftentimes  a  few  young  goats  will 
become  separated  from  the  flock  and  be  killed ;  and,  in  a  country 
where  the  zvolf  and  zvild-cat  abound,  there  is  considerable  loss, 
particularly  in  the  small  kids. 

Fenci)ig  made  of  seven  barbed  wires  is  quite  close  enough 
to  hold  goats  provided  the  stays  are  placed,  say  four  feet 
apart  so  that  the  wires  will  not  spread.  A  goat  will  not  jump 
over  a  fence  but  will  crawl  through  it  very  much  like  a  hog.  and, 
unless  the  wires  are  kept  tight  it  is  difficult  to  confine  them.  A 
rail-fence  is  very  good  if  it  is  constructed  properly.  It  should  be 
built  so  that  the  panels  will  not  lean  outward,  as  a  goat  can 
climb  up  a  very  steep  place  if  he  can  find  a  foot-hold.  A  rock- 
fenee  will  not  do  at  all,  unless  it  has  a  shelf  on  top.  The  best 
kind  of  fencing  is  made  from  zvoz'cn  wire,  and,  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  repairs  on  other  kinds,  I  am  inclined  to  think  they 
are  the  cheapest  in  the  end.  A  four  foot  woz'en  zvire  fence  will 
hold  them  with  perfect  safety. 


388  A    New    Industry. 

Breeding.  The  pure-bred,  or  the  very  high-grade  does, 
come  into  season  between  August  and  September,  and  are  sus- 
ceptible up  to  first  of  February.  They,  ordinarly.  produce  one 
kid,  but  will  occasionally  have  twins,  more  especially  the  older 
ones.  Lower  grades  are  more  prolific  and  some  have  been 
known  to  breed  twice  a  year. 

The  biieks  come  into  season  between  the  months  of  July 
and  August,  and.  if  they  are  permitted  to  run  with  the  does  at 
will,  the  kids  will  begin  to  come  in  February  or  March.  The 
buck,  if  pure,  may  run  with  the  does  from  first  of  February  to 
first  of  July  without  risk.  The  coiumon  buck  will  breed  at  any 
time  of  the  year,  and  low  grade  Angoras  are  liable  to  do  so. 

Great  care  should  be  observed  in  removing  buck  kids  when 
they  are  five  months  old,  as  they  are  remarkably  precocious,  and 
will  often  breed  at  that  early  age.  T  have  known  a  buck  at  eight 
months  of  age  to  produce  ninety  kids.  The  doe  kids  should  be 
removed  before  the  buck  is  turned  into  the  flock  as  it  is  best  not 
to  breed  these  until  the  following  season. 

llie  period  of  gestation  is  between  one  hundred  and  fift}-  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five  days  ;  or,  about  five  months. 

The  breeding  of  does  should  be  governed  by  the  climate  in 
which  they  are  being  kept,  and  it  should  be  so  arranged  that  the 
kids  will  not  be  dropped  before  vegetation  has  fairly  started.  It 
is  quite  common  for  a  doe  to  refuse  to  own  or  even  recognize 
her  young  owing  to  this  cause,  and  it  is  therefore  best  to  always 
be  on  the  safe  side,  and  be  a  little  late,  rather  than  in  advance  of 
the  season,  as  this  will  insure  a  full  flow^  of  milk  on  the  part  of  the 
mother,  and  there  will  then  be  no  losses  in  kids  if  reasonable  at- 
tention is  given. 

One  buck  is  sufficient  for  fifty  does  turned  loose,  or  he  will 
serve  as  many  as  two  hundred  if  kept  up  and  "hand-bred." 

If  there  are  a  large  number  of  breeding  does  it  is  well  to 
hold  the  bucks  in  a  separate  enclosure  and  place  one-half  with  the 
flock  in  the  morning  and  the  other  half  in  the  evening. 

The  bucks  should  be  fed  about  one  pound  of  corn,  or  two 
pounds  of  oats,  night  and  morning  during  the  breeding  season. 
Corn  on  the  cob  should  be  broken  in  pieces.  Barley  or  wheat 
makes  a  good  feed.     The  entire  flock  should  be  fed  a  little  grain, 


Care  and  Alaiiagciiiciif  of  the  A)igora  Goaf.  S8Q 

in  the  winter  months,  with  hay,  clover,  or  oat  straw.  Corn  in 
the  shock  is  very  good,  and  with  this  assistance,  and  the  freedom 
of  the  pasture,  to  browse  on  the  hve  twigs  and  dead  leaves,  they 
will  go  through  the  winter  very  satisfactorily.  Cotton  seed  or 
cotton  seed  meal,  and  hulls,  makes  very  good  feed  also. 

Goats  are  very  fond  of  all  kinds  of  nuts  that  they  can  break 
easily.  They  are  especially  fond  of  the  acorn,  and  when  the  yield 
is  large  will  often  eat  too  many,  which  is  liable  to  cause  abortion. 
If  eaten  in  moderation  they  will  do  no  harm. 

On  the  open  range,  if  goats  are  held  under  herd,  and  re- 
strained of  their  liberty,  it  is  proper  to  locate  in  some  place 
where  a  variety  of  brush  is  to  be  had,  and  within  close  proximity 
to  good  clean  water. 

Range,  and  icater,  are  the  great  essentials  to  success,  and  the 
wider  the  range  the  better.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  exact 
number  of  acres  that  are  necessary  for  any  given  number  of 
goats,  owing  to  the  difference  in  browsing  facilities.  The  judg- 
ment of  the  breeder  must  be  brought  into  play  in  this  regard.  It 
is  not  an  uncommon  mistake  for  flocks  to  be  held  too  long  in  one 
place.  They  should  be  moved  as  often  as  once  a  month,  and  of- 
lener  if  convenient  to  do  so,  which  will  give  the  brush  a  chance 
to  grow  new  leaves,  and  thus  keep  the  entire  range  fresh,  and 
in  good  condition. 

Almost  any  kind  of  brush  will  answer,  and  if  there  are  weeds 
to  be  had  in  addition,  it  will  be  that  much  the  better. 

Water  should  be  as  near  to  the  range  as  possible,  not  over 
two  miles  from  camp.  It  is  supposed  by  many  that  goats  do 
not  require  water,  but  this  is  a  great  mistake,  and  they  will  cer- 
taiinly  suffer  if  they  are  deprived  of  it  when  they  want  it.  In  the 
winter  months  they  will  drink  very  little  and  have  been  known 
to  do  without  it  altogether  for  months  at  a  time ;  but,  it  is  best 
to  give  them  the  opportunity  of  drinking  at  least  once  a  week 
during  the  cold  weather,  and  oftener,  as  spring  approaches. 
In  the  heat  of  summer  they  should  h^ve  water  once  a  day  though 
it  is  quite  common  to  only  water  them  every  other  day. 

Salt  should  be  fed  once  a  week,  in  such  quantity  as  they  will 
eat  up  clean.     Between  twenty-five,   and  fifty,   pounds   will  be 


^pc 


A    New   Industry. 


quite  sufficient  for  a  flock  of  1500  for  a  single  salting.  It  is 
usually  placed  in  small  piles  either  on  the  clean  grass,  or  a  rock. 
It  is  well  to  have  a  regular  day  to  salt,  and  the  flock  will  soon 
learn  to  look  for  it,  and  will  remind  the  herder  of  his  neglect  if 
he  should  fail  to  remember  it. 

Shelter,  from  cold  zvind,  is  very  necessary,  and  in  select- 
ing a  camping  place  this  should  be  taken  into  consideration. 
The  slope  of  a  hill,  on  the  south  side  of  a  thicket  of  brush ;  or, 
behind  a  high  bluff,  is  a  very  good  spot  for  the  winter  ;  and  in 
summer,  a  high  position  on  the  sloping  side  of  a  hill,  is  very  suit- 
able. It  would  be  better,  of  course,  to  have  a  covered  shelter  as 
there  are  many  cold  rains  during  the  year  which  will  make  goats 
shrink  very  considerably ;  and,  the  losses  after  shearing  and  in 
kids,  during  a  kidding  season,  will  more  than  cover  the  cost  of 
building  sheds  if  it  were  practicable :  but,  the  fact  of  having  to 
move  camp  so  often  presents  an  obstacle  that  is  hard  to  over- 
come in  this  particular.  The  only  remedy  I  can  conceive  of  is, 
to  have  portable  sJieds  made  something  like  a  tent,  which  could  be 
moved  from  camp  to  camp.  They  can  be  made  in  sections  of 
ten  or  fifteen  feet,  with  hooks  to  connect  them  to  each  other, 
and  in  this  way  a  shelter  of  any  required  dimension  could  be  had 
at  a  comparatively  reasonable  cost. 

Flocks  are  generally  made  up  of  one  thousand  to  twelve  hun- 
dred head,  though  it  is  quite  easy  for  a  herder  to  attend  a  much 
larger  number,  and  as  high  as  twenty-five  hundred  in  one  flock 
is  not  uncommon.  The  smaller  the  number  the  better,  however, 
as  they  are  more  apt  to  receive  better  attention  from  the  herder 
and  a  greater  supply  of  food.  The  wethers  are  placed  in  a  sepa- 
rate flock,  usually,  which  is  known  as  the  "dry  flock;"  and,  at 
weaning  time  the  kids  may  be  put  with  them,  which  is  commonly 
done  except  when  there  are  enough  to  make  a  flock  of  zvcanlings 
when  a  few  old  does  are  required  to  gradually  educate  the  little 
fellows  how  to  herd.  There  is  no  serious  objection  to  viixed 
herds  except  at  breeding  time,  when  the  breeding  flock  should  he 
kept  entirely  separate,  and  distinct  from  all  others. 

Culling  out  old  does  is  an  important  work  to  attend  to,  in 
shaping  up  a  breeding  flock,  and  if  you  are  not  able  to  tell  ages 
by  an  ear  mark,  the  teeth  should  be  the  guide,  and  all  does  that 


Care  and  Maiiagcmoit  of  iJic  Angora  Goaf.  jp/ 

have  poor  mouths  should  be  left  out,  as  well  as  any  ill-shaped 
or  poorly  g:raded  animals.  It  is  customary  to  cull  out  does  after 
they  are  six  years  old,  as  they  have  then  seen  their  best  days  and 
will  go  down  in  the  scale  of  vitality,  and  as  producers  of  mohair 
after  that  period.  They  will  make  very  good  breeders,  however, 
up  to  a  much  greater  age,  and  it  is  not  advisable  to  cull  out  well 
graded  stock,  under  ten  or  twelve  years,  unless  you  want  to  re- 
duce your  holdings. 

Breeding,  on  the  open  range,  is  done  practically  the  same  as 
in  a  pasture.  One  buck  should  be  provided  for  fifty  does,  and 
they  should  be  placed  w'ith  the  flock,  alternately,  one-half  in 
the  morning,  and  the  other  half  in  the  evening.  The  bucks 
should  be  fed  grain  night  and  morning,  which  greatly  assists  the 
herder  in  making  the  necessary  change  in  animals  as  they  will 
come  forward  for  their  regular  feed,  into  the  feeding  pen,  or  cor- 
ral, when  they  can  be  shut  in  and  the  others  turned  into  the  fiock 
with  very  little  trouble.  Thirty  days  time  is  quite  enough  to 
serve  all  the  does,  which' is  the  custom  on  all  large  ranches,  when 
all  of  the  bucks  should  be  removed  to  either  the  dry  (wether) 
flock,  or  turned  into  a  small  pasture. 

The  keeping  of  bucks  is  a  great  annoyance  unless  you  have 
proper  arrangements  for  doing  so.  When  they  come  in  season 
(July  1)  they  will  be  restless  and  will  try  to  run  away,  which  they 
often  succeed  in  doing  and  will  sometimes  get  with  the  breeding 
flock  a  month  or  more  before  they  are  wanted,  which  makes 
great  trouble  at  the  kidding  period.  The  best  plan  is  to  have  a 
small  buck-pasture,  made  of  seven  barbed  wires,  with  stays  every 
four  feet  apart  to  secure  them. 

Herding  is  a  very  simple  kind  of  work,  apparently,  but  it 
calls  for  more  skill  than  one  would  suppose,  for  goats,  to  do  well. 
Any  one  can  herd,  but  there  are,  comparatively,  few  who  can 
herd  properly,  and  it  may  therefore  be  called  a  professional  oc- 
cupation. The  Mexican  is  perhaps  the  best  class  to  be  found 
for  this  work,  as  they  have  been  more  or  less  trained  to  it  in 
their  native  country. 

The  herder  should  be  ready  to  leave  his  camp  as  soon  as 
the  flock  leaves  the  bed-ground ;   and,  in  place  of  staying  at  the 


S02  A   Nc::'  [iidi:::fry. 

rear  end.  driving  them  on,  he  should  be  in  the  extreme  front, 
holding  the  leaders  from  traveling  too  fast.  The  animals  should 
be  allowed  to  scatter  over  as  much  territory  as  they  care  to,  as 
long  as  they  remain  in  sight  of  each  other.  Bells  should  be 
placed  on  about  one,  to  one  hundred  head,  which  should  be  fas- 
tened securely  by  a  leather  strap  and  buckle,  around  the  neck 
of  the  animals.  These  are  a  great  help  to  the  herder,  in  many 
ways,  and  will  often  guide  goats  into  the  flock  that  may  have  ven- 
tured a  Httle  too  far  ofif.  In  the  evening  the  counitng  of  the  bell- 
goats  and  other  noted  animals,  will  afford  reasonable  assurance 
to  the  herder  that  he  has  not  lost  any  during  the  day. 

Loose  herding,  or,  in  other  words,  permitting  the  goats  to 
go  and  come  at  will,  has  never  been  very  satisfactory  except 
with  a  small  flock  of  fifty,  to  one  hundred,  which  can  find 
browsing  without  going  too  far  away.  If  a  lot  of  kids  are  raised 
by  hand  they  will  become  very  much  attached  to  a  place  and 
will  rarely  ever  stray  ofif;  but  old  goats  are  hard  to  locate, 
and  give  much  trouble. 

Shepherd  dogs  are  all  right  in  the  hands  of  one  who  under- 
stands them,  but  it  is  not  wise  to  permit  every  herder  to  use  them 
for  they  often  do  more  harm  to  the  goats,  then  a  fine  range  will 
do  them  good.  A  herder,  as  a  rule,  keeps  a  dog  to  relieve  him- 
self of  walking.  This  makes  him  lazier  than  he  naturally  is  and 
in  a  short  while  will  want  the  dog  to  do  all  the  work  and  he  draw 
all  the  pay.  The  most  serious  objection  is  that,  dogs  are  seldom 
trained  properly,  or,  it  may  be,  that  the  herder  is  just  commencing 
to  teach  one,  which  will  run  the  goats  continually,  and  bite  them. 

If  the  dog  has  been  raised  with  the  flock  from  a  puppy  it 
will  afford  great  protection  to  the  flock,  and  is  very  useful.  I 
know  of  a  number  of  ranchmen  who  have  small  flocks  that  they 
keep  with  the  assistance  of  dogs  trained  to  go  out  in  the  morning 
and  bring  the  flock  back  to  the  corrals  in  the  evening.  A  large 
dog  is  the  best,  as  these  are  less  liable  to  be  afraid  of  a  coyote 
or  wild  cat.  A  puppy  should  be  placed  with  a  doe  that  is  giving 
milk  before  its  eyes  are  open.  It  is  best  to  have  two,  as  it  will 
make  them  bolder  and  they  are  company  to  each  other. 

Corrals  are  only  used  for  penning  goats  when  it  is  necessary 
to  doctor  anv  of  them,  or  work  the  flock.      These  can  be  made 


Care  and  Maiiagciiiciit  of  the  Angora  Goat.  jpj 

more  cheaply  out  of  brush,  cut  clown  and  placed  in  a  circular 
form  large  enough  to  hold  the  entire  flock,  with  a  smaller  corral 
alongside,  communicating  through  a  gate.  In  case  of  a  blizzard, 
or  very  stormy  night,  it  is  proper  to  corral  the  goats,  but,  ordi- 
narily, they  will  do  better  to  bed  on  the  outside. 

A  cuttijig  cJiiitr  is  a  very  necessary  thing,  which  is,  usually, 
placed  at  headcjuarters  where  the  shearing  is  done.  This  is  used 
for  separating  or  "cutting-out"  certain  goats  from  the  flock  for 
any  purpose.  It  is  usually  placed  on  one  side  of  the  corral,  and 
is  constructed  out  of  IxG  plank  about  three  feet  high,  wider  at 
the  entrance,  and  narrowing  down  to  about  fifteen  inches  wide 
at  the  centre,  which  width  is  continued  to  the  exit,  where  a  gate 
is  hung,  giving  entrance  to  two  corrals.  A  man  holds  the  cut- 
ting gate,  and  as  the  goat  approaches  he  works  so  as  to  have 
the  animal  go  into  either  corral  he  desires. 

A  dipping  vat  is  another  essential  on  a  well-arranged  goat 
ranch.  This  should  be  placed  convenient  to  water  and  con- 
structed so  that  the  goat  can  swim  through  a  vat  made  narrow 
enough  so  that  it  cannot  turn  around. 

At  the  exit  an  inclined  plank  should  be  placed  ,  leading  from 
the  vat,  to  a  dripping  platform,  where  it  can  rest  until  the  medi- 
cine has  dripped  back  into  the  vat. 

It  is  customary  to  make  these  vats  fifteen  to  100  feet  long, 
about  three  and  one-half  feet  deep,  and  eighteen  inches  wide  on 
the  top,  tapering  to  twelve  inches  at  the  bottom.  They  are  some- 
times constructed  out  of  rock  and  cement,  which  is  the  most 
economical  in  the  end,  though  a  little  more  expensive  at  the 
start.  The  dripping  pen  is  also  the  best  when  made  out  of  mas- 
onry, though  it  is  quite  common  to  use  2x1'^  lumber  for  the  vat, 
and  ordinary  inch  plank  for  the  dripping  pen,  with  a  railing, 
made  like  an  ordinary  fence,  to  hold  the  animals  while  they  are 
dripping. 

If  only  a  small  number  are  to  be  dipped  a  large  molasses 
barrel  can  be  used  and  if  this  will  not  do,  a  small  portable  vat 
large  enough  for  one  animal  can  be  made.. 

A  camp  nistlcr  should  be  provided  for  every  four  flocks, 
■whose   duty   is   to   move   camp,   haul   water   and   provisions    to 


1^94 


A    -Vru'    Iiidiistrv. 


herders,  make  corrals,  hunt  up  stray  goats  and  do  whatever 
work  may  be  necessary  in  connecticjn  with  tlie  ranch  when  not 
employed  at  his  regular  duties. 

A  Jicrdcr's  outfit  consists  of : 

One  small  A  tent. 

One  baking-  skillet,  small. 

One  coffee  mill,  small. 

One  bread  pan.  small. 

One  frying-  pan,  small. 

One  coffee  pot,  small. 

Knife  and  fork. 

One  large  and  one  small  spoon. 

One  tin  cup  and  one  tin  plate. 

One  kettle  for  heating  water. 

One  barrel  for  drinking  water. 

The  herder  is  supposed  to  furnish  his  own  blankets  and  bed- 
ding. He  is  furnished  regular  rations  monthly,  which  are  as-, 
follows : 

Thirty  pounds  of  flour. 

Eight  potmds  of  beans. 

Four  pounds  of  sugar. 

Four  pounds  of  rice. 

One  pound  of  baking  powder. 

Twelve  pounds  of  fat  bacon  or  lard. 

Four  pounds  of  coffee. 

One  quarter  of  fresh  goat  meat  v.  week,  which  is.  sometimes,. 
changed  for  lean  bacon. 

Shearing  is  governetl  largely  by  the  inclination  of  the  goat 
to  shed  its  hair.  In  the  Southern  States  this  usually  l)egins  in 
February;  and,  in  many  cases,  nearly  all  the  animals  will  lose- 
their  entire  fleece  by  the  first  of  March,  which  necessitates  shear- 
ing sometimes  in  very  cold  weather.''      It  is  best  to  delay  shcar- 


*It  was  Laurence  Sterne,  I  think,  who  said,  ""God  tempers 
the  -wind  to  the  shorn  lamb;"  but,  if  this  was  ever  a  law  of  nature,  it 
was  changed  long  before  Texas  engaged  in  raising  sheep,  and  goats, 
for  I  have  seen  both  lambs  and  kids  frozen  to  death  the  niglit  after  they 
had  been  shorn  of  their  fleece. 


Care  and  Managcinciif  of  the  .liigora  Goaf.  595 

ing  until  tlie  weather  is  mild,  if  possible;  but,  inasmuch  as  the 
does  sometimes  begin  to  drop  kids  early  in  March,  it  cannot  well 
be  delayed  beyond  the  first  days  of  this  month,  in  many  of  the 
vStates. 

The  first  of  April  for  the  vSoulh  and  the  first  day  of  ]May 
for  the  North,  would  be  a  very  good  season  if  it  can  be  so 
arranged. 

Some  breeders  slicar  t^cicc  a  year,  which  they  maintain  is 
made  necessary  owing  to  the  extreme  length  of  the  hair.  Others 
claim  that  goats  can  be  made  to  produce  more  mohair  if  shorn 
twice,  which  is  true,  but  it  is  not  advisable  to  shear  more  than 
once  unless  your  mohair  will  measure  over  six  inches  at  each 
clipping.  Take  for  instance  an  animal  that  will  produce  a  seven- 
inch  staple  in  twelve  months'  growth:  If  shorn  in  the  fall  it 
will  shear  say  five  inches, and, in  the  spring, perhaps, three  more; 
but  both  clippings  will  be  very  much  inferior  to  a  single  clip  of 
seven  inches,  and  will  sell  for  considerably  less  per  pound ;  hence,, 
what  is  gained  in  one  respect  is  lost  in  another. 

The  shearing  season  in  Texas  is  the  harvest  for  a  large  num- 
ber of  Mexicans  who  organize  in  gangs,  or  companies,  of  from 
ten  to  fifty,  under  a  captain,  who  enters  into  a  contract  with  dif- 
ferent owners  for  shearing  at  a  stated  price  per  head,  either  with 
board  or  without  it,  as  the  owner  may  prefer.  The  price  is, 
usually,  two  cents  per  head  with  board,  or  two  and  one-half 
cents  without.  The  captain  is  supposed  to  superintend  the 
shearing  and  see  that  the  men  under  him  do  not  injure  the  ani- 
mals, for  which  service  he  expects  a  little  extra  pay,  usually 
ST. 00  for  each  thousand  goats  shorn. 

A  szvceper,  and  a  cook,  must  be  provided,  who  are  paid  by  the 
day,  which  is  paid  by  the  owner  when  board  is  furnished,  and  by 
the  shearing  company  when  they  board  themselves. 

Ordinary  sheep-shears  are  commonly  used,  but  it  would  be 
much  better  to  have  a  clipping  machine  to  do  this  work  for  it  is  a 
very  important  matter  to  have  a  uniform  staple,  and  it  is  impos- 
sible to  obtain  this  by  the  old-fashioned  shears.  The  loss  that 
results  from  careless  clipping  of  mohair  in  the  United  States  can- 
not be  much  less  than  twenty  per  cent,  in  noilage  or  short  hair,. 


jv6  .1    .V('Zi'    Industry. 

wliich  lias  l)c'cn  already  reterrcd  to  uiulcr  chapter:  "How  to  I're- 
]>are  Alohair  for  ^larket." 

The  sacking  of  mohair  is  arranged  by  suspending  the  sack 
in  a  frame,  and  pressing  it  down  by  the  weight  of  a  man  who  get<? 
in  and  tramps  it  as  close  as  he  can  by  his  own  weight.  Ordi- 
naril\-  175  to  '^00  pounds  can  be  very  easily  packed  in  a  six-fool 
l^urlaj)  wool  sack,  whicli  is  quite  enough. 

.\n  iron  ring  is  first  fastened  around  the  mouth  of  the  sack 
which  is  then  placed  in  the  frame. 

F.ach  class  of  mohair  should  l>e  kept  separate,  both  as  to 
length  of  staple  and  fineness  of  fiber,  and  all  colored  fhrccs  should 
l)e  packed  in  a  small  i)Ocket  and  then  be  deposited  in  one  of  the 
larger  sacks. 

Slicaring  sJicds  are  usually  made  with  poles  and  brush  to 
shade  the  men,  and  plank,  or  wool  sacks,  for  a  floor.  It  is,  of 
course,  best  to  have  a  proper  shed,  constructed  with  pens  on  the 
side  to  hold  the  goats,  and  sufficient  space  for  packing  and  stor- 
ing the  clip. 

The  kiddnig  season  is  perhaps  tlie  busiest  time  of  all  others 
on  a  goat  ranch,  which  calls  for  an  enlarged  working  force,  and 
a  considerable  increase  in  expenses.  About  one  month  before 
this  season  commences  (as  before  stated  this  should  be  governed 
1)V  the  climate  where  the  goats  are  being  bred  in),  the  kidding 
camps  should  be  selected,  and  corrals  made  so  that  there  may  be 
n.o  confusion  when  the  little  strangers  begin  to  arrive.  The 
camp  rustler  can  generally  find  time  to  make  these  at  odd  times, 
which  are  constructed  practically  the  same  as  all  other  working- 
corrals.  It  is  well  to  select  a  spot  that  will  combine  shade  from 
the  sun,  and  protection  from  the  cold  wind,  for  the  season 
includes  both  of  these  extremes  of  weather,  in  many  places.  The 
corrals  should  be  made  large  enough  for  as  many  does  as  are 
in  the  tlock.  with  a  small  corral  connecting  to  place  motherless 
kids  in.  One  such  corral  should  be  made  for  each  three  hundred 
kids,  and  when  these  have  come,  the  flock  should  be  moved  on 
to  corral  Xo.  "2.  where  three  hundred  more  are  left,  and  so  on  to 
the  end. 


Can:  and  Maiuii^cincjit  of  I  he  .liii^ora  iioat.  ;Qy 

'l\vo  men  should  1k'  placed  in  cbarj^e  of  each  corral,  the  one 
to  herd  liie  docs,  and  the  other  to  attend  the  kids,  and  see  that 
they  do  not  receive  injury,  and  that  the)-  all  _<^et  sufficient 
nourishment  from  their  mothers.  If  any  doe  should  fail  to 
suckle  her  kid  she  shotild  be  tied  every  nij2^ht  by  the  horns,  and  by 
one  hind  \v\x.  as  well,  close  to  where  her  kid  is  tied,  until  she  is 
willing  to  own  it.  The  herder  should  range  near  the  corral  and 
come  into  camp  at  noon  and  evening  to  let  the  kids  suckle.  It 
is,  sometimes,  necessary  to  mark  the  kids  in  order  to  tell  them 
from  others,  but  this  is  only  resorted  to  when  the  (Ujc  is  a  ])oor 
mother.  Different  colored  paints  are  used,  placed  on  certain 
portions  of  the  body,  always  observing  to  mark  the  kid  with  the 
same  colored  paint  and  in  the  same  ])lace  as  the  mother. 

In  case  of  t.win  kids,  one  is  usuall_\-  given  to  some  doe  that 
mav  have  lost  her  own.  which  she  will  soon  learn  to  recognize 
if  the  plan  of  tying  her.  over  night,  is  practiced  for  a  few  nights. 

The  most  common  way  of  hcdding  kids  is,  tying  them  by 
one  leg  to  a  peg,  driven  into  the  ground,  even  with  tlie  surface, 
so  that  the  string  will  not  become  entangled.  This  string  should 
be  of  hemp,  about  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  in  length  and 
should  be  changed  from  one  leg  to  the  other  whenever  it 
begins  to  bind.  It  is  not  unusual  for  kids  to  sufTer  very  severly 
if  this  is  not  attended  to  properly,  and  in  many  cases  the  little 
animal  will  have  a  very  sore  foot  which  will  often  slough  ofT. 
When  kids  are  two  or  three  weeks  old  they  can  be  turned  loose 
and  allowed  the  freedom  of  the  corral. 

.■\  much  more  humane  wa}'  of  confining  them  is  in  a  ])en. 
made  about  three  feet  scpiare  by  about  si.xteen  inches  to  twenty 
inches  high,  which  the  mother  can  easily  jump  into  and  is  quite 
high  enough,  ia  liold  the  little  animal  until  it  is  large  enough 
to  be  turned  loose  in  the  corral. 

Kids. — The  kids  should  not  be  allowed  to  go  (jut  with  the 
flock  until  they  are  about  two  months  old,  as  they  are  liable  to 
steal  ofY  into  some  thicket  of  brush  and  be  lost. 

As  soon  as  it  is  ])racticable  to  do  so,  the  kids  in  different 
corrals  should  be  bunched  together  and  thus  reduce  expenses 
in  !ab(jr.      (ireat  care  should  be  used  to  keep  the  <loe  with  the 


sps 


.^1    Xcz.'    Jiuliislrx. 


kid  for  some  time  after  birth,  so  that  she  may  become  fully 
acquainted  with  it,  which  she  does  very  soon  through  the  scent, 
and  will  always  be  able  to  pick  it  out  of  any  number  in  this  way. 
Kids  that  are  dropped  during  a  cold  .  drizzling  rain  are 
almost  certain  to  perish,  and  hence,  a  shelter  will  pay  very  well 
at  this  season,  which  has  been  fully  ex])laine(l  under  my  treat- 
ment of  "Sheds." 


A  DOE  BiUNGING  HER  KID  TO  CAMP. 


Iloweil  by  Me 


ami  siisjiended 


When  kids  are  dropped  on  the  range  the  mother  should 
not  be  disturbed,  and  if  inclined  to  be  restless,  she  should 
be  tied  either  by  the  horns,  or  by  one  leg,  to  some  convenient 
tree,  near  her  kid,  until  the  flock  is  ready  to  return  to  camp, 
when  the  camp  helper  should  come  out  and  assist  in  collecting 
up  those  that  have  been  dropped. 

A  common  way  of  conveying  them  to  camp  is  by  tying  their 
legs  togetl;er  and  suspending  them  on  the  neck  of  their  mother, 


Care  and  Managcnieiif  of  the  Angora  Goaf.  :^pp 

as  shown  in  plate  XXXMI.  This  is  a  very  good  way  to  keep 
from  mixing  them,  and  it  is  not  at  all  inhuman,  as  the  little 
things  do  not  seem  to  suffer  any  evil  effects  from  it. 

Castrating  should  be  done  as  soon  after  the  kid  is  able  to 
stand  up,  as  practicable— say  in  one  week  after  birth.  The  end 
of  the  bag  is  first  cut  off  with  a  sharp  knife  and  the  httle  seeds 
drawn  out  until  the  tender  cord  that  holds  them  breaks  asunder. 
This  operation  seems  to  give  little  or  no  pain  when  the  animal 
is  less  than  one  month  old,  but  the  longer  it  is  delayed  the  more 
painful  and  dangerous  the  operation  becomes.  A  lot  of  early 
altered  male  kids  are  hard  to  distinguish  from  the  females  when 
they  are  a  year  old,  while  the  late  altered  ones  look  "staggish," 
and  resemble  the  buck  somewhat. 

Docking,  or  cutting  oft'  the  tail,  is  unnecessarv. 

Marking,  is  commonly  done  by  cutting  off  a  part  of  one, 
or  both.  ears,  which  greatly  disfigures  the  animal,  but  this 
makes  no  material  difference,  except  with  fancy  stock.  A.  sys- 
tem of  notches  is  sometimes  used  to  distinguish  age  an  sex 
which  is  very  useful  in  cutting  out  from  a  flock  as  the  animals 
pass  through  the  chute.  To  tell  sex  alone,  it  is  quite  common  to 
alternate  the  ear  mark  on  the  doe.  and  wether,  kids,  for  instance  : 
The  wethers  are  marked  in  the  right  ear,  and  the  does,  in  the 
left. 

Punching  a  hoic  in  the  ear  has  been  abolished  for  the  reason 
that  the  goat  is  liable  to  have  the  ear  torn  by  catching  it  in  the 
brush. 

7'aftoohig  is  a  very  good  method  to  use  in  marking  pure- 
bred stock,  which  can  be  done  witli  colored  inks  on  either  ear 
withotit  the   slightest  disfiguration. 

Brandijig  on  the  cheek,  or  nose,  in  addition  to  some  kind 
of  ear-mark  is  sometimes  practiced,  and  is  perhaps  the  surest 
^vay  of  being  able  to  distinguish  a  goat  that  has  been  stolen, 
and  the  ear-rnarkcd  changed. 

Jf'ild  jniniafs  that  depredate  upon  goats  consist  mainly  of 
the  covote.  or  prairie  wolf,  and  wild  cat.  The  fox  will  sometimes 
steal  a  kid  but  is  not  considered  very  troublesome.  The  coyote 
is  perhaps  the  worst  of  all  owing  to  his  greater  cunning,  and 


^00  A    Nciv    Industry. 

.strength.  They  will  not  molest  a  flock  in  camp  very  often, 
though  they  will  occasionally  venture  up  to  the  outer  line,  and 
catch  a  goat  while  the  herder  is  asleep.  A  camp  fire  will  often 
keep  them  awa\.  They  are  more  to  be  dreaded  when  a  bunch 
is  cut  ofTf  from  the  flock  and  are  lost  for  a  night  or  two.  It  is 
on  these  that  the  coyote  gets  in  his  work.  He  will,  generally, 
get  them  scattered  and  destroy  the  last  one  if  they  are  out  a 
few  nichts.  All  this  talk  about  goats  being  able  to  defend  them- 
selves from  the  attack  of  a  wild  animal  is  news  to  me.  Some 
writer  in  Dr.  Hayes'  book  claims  that  he  put  some  goats  in  his 
flock  of  sheep  to  protect  them  from  wild  animals.  If  this  is  a 
fact  they  nuist  have  been  a  difl^erent  species  of  goats  from  the 
kind  that  are  raised  in  Texas.  The  loss  from  this  source  has 
been  fully  five  per  cent.,  on  an  average,  and  has  been  much 
greater  than  this  with  some  individual  flocks. 

The  loho.  a  very  large  kind  of  coyote,  will  often  do  great 
damage  to  a  flock.  The  use  of  strychnine  is  a  very  good  way  to 
get  rid  of  them,  but,  both  the  coyote  and  lobo,  are  very  cun- 
ning about  taking  the  bait,  and  it  should  be  put  in  the  meat  in 
small  capsules.  The  carcass  of  a  dead  horse  is  a  good  thing  to 
poison  on  a  range,  and  will  often  remove  a  number  of  these 
pests,  if  well  poisoned  with  strychnine. 

Trapl'iiig  them  is  often  resorted  to,  which  is  followed  as  a 
steady  occupation  by  quite  a  number  of  men,  who  receive  pay 
by  the  head  from  the  owner  of  the  range,  in  addition  to  a  bounty 
oflfered  bv  man\'  of  the  States. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

NOTES    FROM    PRACTICAL    BREEDERS. 

For  the  purpose  of  learning  with  what  success  the  breeding 
of  the  Angora  goat  had  been  attended,  in  different  parts  of  the 
United  States,  as  well  as  the  different  customs  of  breeders  in 
handling  the  animal,  I  sent  out  the  following  list  of  questions : 

1.  Do  you  find  ready  sale  for  your  wether  goats? 

2.  What  country  would  you  prefer  to  import  new  blood 
from. 

3.  Are  you  in  favor  of  a  register  for  thoroughbred  goats  ? 

4.  Have  you  found  your  section  well  adapted  to  raising 


sroats 


0.  Do  you  herd  your  goats  ? 

6.  Do  you  run  them  in  a  pasture? 

7.  Do  you  pen  them  every  night  ? 

8.  Do  you  have  sheds  for  them  in  winter  ? 

9.  Have  you  found  goats  better  able  to  defend  themselves 
from  wild  animals  than  sheep  are  ? 

10.  Do  you  feed  your  goats  in  winter  ? 

11.  Have  your  goats  ever  been  troubled  with  disease? 

12.  Do  you  practice  dipping  for  lice? 

13.  Have  you  found  goats  objectionable  to  run  with  other 
kinds  of  stock? 

14.  Do  you  shear  your  goats  once  or  twice  a  year? 

15.  What  do  you  consider  a  fair  crop  of  kids  from  -100 
does? 

1  ().  Do  you  have  many  twin  kids  ? 

IT.  Do  you  have  many  black,  yellow,  or  ofif-colored  kids? 

18.  What  has  been  your  percentage  of  loss  from  death  per 
year  ? 

19.  Are  goats  used  much  in  your  vState  for  clearing  l)rush 
land? 


402  A    Kctc    Industry. 

To  the  foregoing  questions  I  received  the  following  replies  : 
Rev.  D.  S.  Babb.  Sonora,  Texas,  says : 

"I  only  herd  my  goats  when  kidding. 

"A"  six-wire  fence  will  hold  them. 

"I   pen   them   at   night   only   in   stormy    weather. 

"Have   never  shedded   them. 

"I  have  seen  as  many  as  2,000  goats  in  one  tiock. 

"If  goats  are  not  kept  under  herd,  or  very  carefully  watched,  I 
estimate  ten  per  cent,   loss   from   wild  animals,   and   strays. 

"T  do  not  dip  for  lice  regularly. 

"I  think  it  is  best  to  shear  twice  a  year. 

"I   breed  generally  "ioth  October. 

"I  do  not  have  many  twins  from  high  grades,  and  but  a  few  off- 
colored. 

M.  R.  H.  W'vatt.  Sonora,  Texas,  says: 

"I   have   found   our  country  very   good   for  goats. 

"I  only  herd  during  kidding  time. 

"I   loose  herd   them  at  other  times. 

"A  seven-wire  fence  will  hold  goats,  cr  a  five-wire  fence  with  pickets, 
or  rock   underneath,    say   two    feet   high. 

"I  always  pen  at  night.     Have  never  shedded. 

"I  find  goats  are  good  to  protect  the  young  kids  from  attack  of 
dogs  or  wolves. 

"I  have  never  fed  any  in  winter. 

"I   have  never  dipped  for  the  lice. 

"Have   never   had   any   disease. 

"I    usually    breed    October    25th." 

Mr.  John  Brown,  Sonora,  Texas,  says:.. 

"We  have,  in  recent  years,  had  no  trouble  in  selling  our  mutton 
goats  to   feeders,  but  formerly  had  very  little  demand  for  them. 

"Am  in  favor  of  importing  new  blood  from  any  place  that  we  car 
find  better  stock  than  we  have  already. 

"I  keep  some  goats  in  pasture,  though  most  of  them  in  flocks.  My 
fence    is    a    seven-barbed    wire. 

"I  never  pen  goats  except  when  I  am  working  with  them  in  kidding 
time.     I  do  not  shed  them,  but  it  would  be  the  better  plan. 

"I   run   1,500  head  in  a  flock. 

■'I  never  feed,  but  it  would  be  of  great  advantage  sometimes. 

"I  estimate  cost  of  running  goats  40  cents  to  45  cents  per  head  per 
year. 

"I  dip  for  lice. 


Notes — Practical   Breeders.  40s 

'Begin  kidding  1st  of  April. 

'We  have  generally  twenty  or  twenty-five  per  cent,   twins. 

'Very   few   colored   kids. 

'Our  losses  are  about  one  per  cent,  from  death. 

'A  goat  will  shear  one  pound  more  that  is  sheared  twice  a  year. 
but  it  will  not  sell  for  as  much  by  G  cents  to  10  cents  per  pound  as  if 
■sheared   only  once." 

Mr.  H.  W.  Galbraith,  Montell,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  sell  muton  goats  readily  at  either  local  markets,  in  San  An- 
tonio, or  Kansas  City. 

"We  do  not  need  any  new  blood  from  either  Turkey  or  South 
Africa. 

"We  run  from  1,250  to  1,500  in  a  flock. 

"We  estimate  48  cents  per  head  the  expense  of  keeping  goats,  includ- 
ing shearing,  kidding,  and  range. 

"We  sometimes  dip  for  lice,  though  not  as  a  regular  thing.  When 
we  do,   we  use  lime  and  sulphur. 

"We  begin  breeding  the   1st  to  'iOth   of  October. 

"Have  very   few  twins  and   seldom   any  off-colors. 

"We  have  less  than  five  per  cent,  losses,  not  including  those  killed 
by  wolves. 

"1  raise  dogs  with  my  goats  which  I  find  a  very  great  advantage, 
enabling  me  to  bed  out  regardless  of  the  wild  animals." 

Mr.  Wm.  M.  Landrum,  Laguna,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  have  no  trouble  now  in  selling  all  our  wether  goats. 

"I  am  in  favor  of  importing  new  blood  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

"I  think  it  will  be  a  very  difficult  matter  to  have  a  register  for 
Angora   goats. 

"I  have  found  them  better  adapted  to  this  part  of  Texas  than  any 
other   kind   of   stock. 

"We  herd  our  goats  sometimes  and  pasture  sometimes. 

"Our  fencing  is  made  of  barbed  wire. 

"We  only  pen  at  times. 

"We  keep  anywhere  from  500  to  2,000  in  a  flock. 

"The  goat  is,  perhaps,  better  able  to  protect  itself  from  wild  animals 
than  a  sheep,  but  will  not  do  so  always. 

"Foot-rot  is  the  only  trouble  we  have  had  in  the  form  of  disease, 
and  this   only   occurs   where   the   pasture   is   wet   or   muddy. 

"It  is  well  to  dip  goats  in  tobacco  and  corrosive  sublimate,  dis- 
solved   in    salamoniac,    for    the    lice.     (See    receipt    under    diseases.) 

"Low-grade  goats  will  increase  at  the  rate  of  125  per  cent,  to  150 
per  cent.     High    grades,    eighty   per   cent,    to    100   per   cent. 


/}04  A    New    Industry. 

"Pure   breeds   have   twins   about   one   to   ten    does. 

"Low  grades  will  often  have  off-colored  kids. 

"Percentage  of  loss  from  death  is  about  three  to  five  per  cent." 

Mr.  Jefif  Pepper,  Rock  Springs,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  run  1,200  head  in  a  flock. 

"Cost  of  keeping  goats  we  estimate  at  25  cents  per  head. 

"We  begin  breeding  October  15th." 

Mr.   Henry  Fink.  Leon   Springs,  Texas,   says  : 

"We  would  prefer  to  pasture  goats,  but  cannot  do  so  on  account 
of  wolves. 

"We  run  them  in  flocks  from  800  to  1,200. 

"Wolves  seem  to  kill  goats  as  easily  as  they  do  sheep. 

"We  only  feed  poor  goats  in  winter  cotton  seed. 

"Estimated  cost  of  running  goats,  20  cents  per  head,  including 
shearing. 

"We    begin    breeding    October    1st. 

"Our    losses    average    two    per    cent.,    except    losses    from    wolves.' 

Mr.  J.  M.  Arnold,  Montell,  Uvalde  County,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  have  no  trouble  to  sell  wether  goats  anywhere,  but  usually  ship 
to  Chicago. 

"I  do  not  think  we  have  any  need  to  import  new  blood,  as  I  believe 
we  have  as  good  as  there  is  in  Turkey  or  South  Africa. 

"We  have  found  this  country  excellent  for  goats. 

"We  run  from  1,200  to  1,600  head  in  a  flock. 

"We  only  feed  one  stud  flock  in  winter.  We  feed  corn  and  wheal 
bran. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  expense  of  handling  goats  50  cents  per  annum. 
including  shearing. 

"We  occasionly  have  sore  feet,  owing  to  rainy  weather.  They 
should  never  be  penned  in  a  muddy  or  wet  pen. 

"We  dip  sometimes  for  lice.     Use  'Cannon's   Dip.' 

"We  find  goats  advantageous  to  pasture   with  other  stock. 

"We   shear  in   October  and   March. 

"Begin    breeding    October    lUth. 

"We  have  very  few  twins  of  late  years.     No  off-colors  to  speak  of. 

"Some  kind  of  shelter  for  goats  in  cold  rains  in  winter,  would  be 
of  great  advantage.  If  kept  dry,  cold  will  not  injure  them.  Wc  bed 
flocks  in  camp,  and  never  pen  except  to  count,  or  shear,  or  when 
kidding. 

"If  they  are  penned  in  a  damp  corral  they  will  take  what  is  termed 
'foot  evil.'     It   is   not   "foot   rot,"   but   a   very   troublesome   disease   of   the 


Notes — Practical   Breeders.  40^ 

feet,  and  they  are  never  troubled  with  it  when  they  have  a  dry  place 
to  travel  and  herd  over. 

"I  have  found  Angora  goats  to  be  the  most  profitable  animal  we 
could  raise  here.  Have  been  breeding  them  for  twenty  years,  and  I 
look  for  a  grand  future  for  the  business  in  the  United  States. 

"We  have  never  used  them  for  exterminating  brush  but  have 
observed  they  will  make  a  grassless  thicket  a  meadow  in  a  few  years. 
Mountain  ranges  are  greatly  benefitted  by  goats,  as  regards  growth 
of  grass." 

Mr.  C.  Dissler,  Juno,  Texas,  says : 

"We  do  not  dip  for  lice,  but  after  shearing  use   coal  oil,   which  we 
apply  with  a  rag,  and  find  it  removes  them. 
"We    breed    October    1st. 

"Have  but  few  ofif-colored  kids;  some  red  ones. 
"Our  losses  are  not  heavy." 

Mr.  James  Patterson,  Junction  City,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  have  had  no  trouble  in  selling  mutton   goats. 

"We  run  1,500  to  2,0G0  in  a  flock. 

"We  estimate  60  cents  per  head  the  cost  of  keeping  a  goat  per  year. 

"We  use  sulphur  and  lime  when  dipping  for  lice. 

"We  begin  breeding  November  10th. 

"Our  losses  from  death  are  about  one  per  cent. 

Messrs.  Doughten  &  Luttrell,  Lipan,  Texas,  says  : 

"We  find  a  ready  market  for  our  mutton  goats  at  Fort  Worth. 

"We  pasture  our  goats  only  in  winter.  In  summer  we  run  them 
in  flocks  from  700  to  1,400  head. 

"We  do  not  think  there  is  much  difference  between  goats,  and  sheep, 
as  far  as  dogs  and  wild  animals  are  concerned. 

"We  feed  cotton  seed  and  hay  in  winter,  costing  us  20  cents  for  two 
bushels  seed  for  the  head. 

We  begin  kidding  generally  by  March  10th." 

"Out  of  600  does  we  had  one  pair  of  twins  this  year,  and  four  black 
or  ofif-colored  ones." 

Col.  W.  W.  Haupt,  Kyle,  Texas,  says : 

"For  a  goat-proof  fence,  I  make  one  of  barbed  wire,  with  the  three 
bottom  wires  five  inches  apart,  then  widen. 

"I  feed  in  bad  weather  cotton  seed  or  corn,  sprinkled  on  the 
ground. 

"My  goats  never  cost  me  a  cent.     I  allow  them  to  run  loose. 


4o6  A    Ah'w    Industry. 

"I  dip  in  anything  but  a  sulphur  dip. 

"I   have   found   goats   an   advantage   with   other   stock. 

"We  shear  twice  a  year  or  we  would  lose  goats  by  tangling  up  in- 
brush    and    briars. 

"We   begin    breeding   as    soon   as   they   come    in   season    in    the    falL 

"Have  twins  very  seldom  in  pure  and  high  grades.  No  off-colored, 
kids  except  from  goats  under  third  cross. 

"Never  saw  a  goat  die." 

\ 
Mr.  Geo.  W.  Baylor,  Montell,  Texas,  says: 

"I  keep  some  goats  in  a  six-barbed  wire  fence,  but  herd  the  most 
of  them. 

"I  only  pen  my  thoroughbreds,  and  shed  them  as  well. 

"I   run   1,'200  to   1,500  in  a  flock. 

"No  sickness  or  disease,  but  have  had  some  few  die  from  poison. 

"We   use   Zenolium.    or   Little's    Dip,    for   lice. 

"They  do  finely  with  cattle,  and  no  drawback  to  the  cattle. 

"We  kid   in   March. 

"The  higher  the  grade  the  less  twins.  Three  per  cent,  off-colored: 
in  grade   flock.       None   with   the   thoroughbred   flock." 

Hon.  B.  L.  Crouch,  Pearsall,  Texas,  says: 

"I  am  no  longer  in  the  goat  business,  but  cheerfully  give  my 
experience  when   I  was  handling  them. 

"I  never  had  any  trouble  to  sell  fat  goats. 

"From  Oakville,  to  El  Paso.  I  think,  equals  any  place  in  the  world 
for  raising  goats. 

"A  seven-barbed  wire  is  enough  to  prsture  goats. 

"I  always  bedded  my  goats.     Never  penned  them  at  night. 

"I   used  to   run   1,500  to  2,000  head  in  a  flock. 

"As  to  their  self-protecting  quality,  I  found  that  they  could  outrurr 
sheep,   but   wolves   are  very   fond   of  them. 

"Cost  of  keeping  goats  from  30  to  40  cents.     It  depends  on  locality. 

"I  used  to  dip  in  sulphur  for  lice. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  proper  to  run  sheep  and  goals  together,  the 
latter  travel  too  fast. 

"Kidding  should  begin  here  about  March  1st. 

"Ninety  to   100  per  cent,   is  an   average   kidding. 

"I  do  not  recollect  my  percentage  from  losses.  I  owned  goats 
from  1872  to  1893. 

"If  we  could  get  rid  of  the  wild  animals,  Texas  would  be  a  paradise 
for  the  goat. 

"I  think  the  present  tariff  on  Mexican  breeding  goats  should  be 
removed  in  order  to  enable  breeders  to  get  some  does  from  that 
country  free  of  duty. 


Notes — Practical    Breeders.  40"/ 

"I  also  favor  a  high  rate  of  duty  on  mohair  to  encourage  the 
American  breeders  of  goats.  We  ought  to  raise  all  of  our  mohair  and 
goat  skins,  and  can  easily  do  it  with  proper  tariff  to  encourage  the 
industry. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  associations  should  be  formed  to  bring  in 
more  thoroughbred  goats,  as  was  done  in  the  forties  and  fifties  by 
the  Illinois  farmers  with  the  short  horn  cattle,  which  has  resulted  in 
such  great  benefit  to  them  and  the  United  States  at  large." 

Mr.   D.  G.  Avery,  Marathon,  Texas,  says : 

"I  find  market  for  wether  mutton  in  El  Paso  without  trouble. 

"Our   mountains   are   especially  fine   for   goats. 

•'We  run  -2,000  in  a  flock. 

"Cost  of  keeping  we  estimate  at  30  cents  per  head. 

"I  do  not  dip  for  lice  but  think  we  ought  to  do  so.  I  favor  lime 
and  sulphur. 

"We   begin    kidding    March   and    April. 

"With  large  flocks,  ninety  per  cent,  increase  is  about  our  experience. 
In  small   flocks   the   increase    should   be    greater. 

"Our  losses  are  greater  some  years  than  others,  but  usually  very 
small." 

Mr.  J.  W.  Garrett,  Mountain  Home,  Texas,  says : 

"Our  country  is  adapted  to  raising  goats  as  well  as  any  I  have 
ever  seen. 

"We  run  from   1,500  to   1,750  in  a  flock. 

"I  have  no  sheep,  but  the  wolves  bother  my  neighbors'  sheep 
much  more  than  they  do  my  goats. 

"The  cost  of  running  goats  depends  on  how  many  you  have  in  flock. 
We  estimate   about   12i^    cents. 

"We  begin  breeding  October  15th  to  November  1st. 

"About  two-thirds  of  our  old  does  have  twins,  some  of  them 
triplets. 

"We  have  some  yellow  kids." 

Hon.  R.  H.  Lowry,  Camp  San  Saba,  Texas,  says : 
"We  run  500  to  1,500  head  in  a  flock. 

"The  only  objection  I  see  to  goats  in  a  pasture  with  other  stock  is 
they  tramp  the  grass  down. 

"We    begin    breeding    October   5th    to    10th. 

"We  have  very  few  twins  and  very  few  off-colored  kids." 

Mr.  H.  B.  Marshall,  Austin,  Texas,  says : 

"We  have  no  trouble  to  sell  all  our  mutton  goats  in  Austin. 
"Am  building  a  cedar  picket  fence  to  pasture  my  goats. 


4o8  A    Nciv    Industry. 

"I   only   have   about  oOO   head. 
"My    kids   generally   come   about    March   20th. 

"Do  not  have  many  twins;  and,  about  one  in  a  hundred  oflf- 
colared. 

"My  losses   have  never  exceeded  two  per  cent." 

Mr.  J.  D.  Hunter,  Junction  City,  Texas,  says : 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is   1,800  feet  above   sea  level. 

"We  have  a  wire,  and  picket,  fence. 

"We    begin    breeding    in    October. 

"A  crop  of  kids  with  us  is  often  150  per  cent. 

"Our  losses  are  nothing  except  by  wolves  or  cayotes." 

Mr.  Tom  S.  Evans,  Exile,  Texas : 

"We  have  found  ready  sale  for  mutton  goats  in  local  markets  and 
Kansas    City. 

"The  altitude  of  our  section  is  1,200  to  1,400  feet. 

"We  herd  mostly,  but  pasture  some. 

Our  pasture  fence  for  goats  is  a  seven  barbed  wire,  with  stays 
every  three  feet  apart. 

"We  only  shed  occasionly. 

"We  run  1,000  to  1,600,  but  prefer  1,000  in  a  flock. 

"We  only  feed  a  little  in  winter.     Sorghum  and  cotton  seed. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping  goats  at  30  to  40  cents  per  year. 

"We  begin  kidding  about  March  20th  to  25th. 

"We  have  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent,  of  twin  kids. 

"Seldom  any  ofif-colored;  a  few  black  ones  once  in  a  while." 

Mr.  H.  T.  Fuchs,  Tiger  Mill,  Texas,  says: 

"I  sell  my  wether  goats  as  mutton  in  my  own  neighborhood,  with- 
out any  difficulty. 

"I    am    in    favor    of    a    register,    if    it    can    be    conducted    honestly. 

"My   goats   always   come   to   the   pens   at   night. 

"Small    flocks    do    better   than    large    ones. 

"I   have   lost   heavily  from   wolves. 

"We  sometimes  cut  live  oak  bushes  in  winter  to  feed. 

"Have  had  some  to  die  from  eating  green  persimmons. 

"Have  never  dipped  for  lice,   but  think  it  is  a  good  plan. 

"I   find   goats   a  benefit  to   other   stock   rather  than   a   disadvantage. 

"We   shear  in   September   and   March. 

"We  have  nothing  but  pure  white  kids." 

Mr.  Wm.  R.  McKee,  Junction  City.  Texas,  says  : 

"I  allow  my  goats  to  run  loose,  except  during  kidding  time,  when 
I  place  them  under  herd. 


Notes — Practical   Breeders.  ^op 

"My  pasture  fence  has  only  six  wires. 

"I  pen  only  for  the  purpose  of  doctoring  for  screw  worms,  or 
during   the    kidding   period    and    for    shearing. 

"The  cost  of  keeping  my  goats  does  not  exceed  20  cents  per  year 
per  head. 

"I  begin  breeding  by  the  15th  to  20th  of  October. 

"Loss  from  death  is  not  very  great. 

"I  consider  my  goats  as  of  great  benefit  to  my  other  stock  in  keep- 
ing down  underbrush,  and  eating  up  noxious  weeds. 

"I  have  never  had  any  difficulty  in  selling  my  wether  goats  for 
mutton  purposes." 

Hon.  Thos.  H.  Tongue,  Hillsboro,  Oregon,  says : 

"Our  pasture  fence  is  principally  rail  the  corners  kept  straight  with 
stakes    wired    together. 

"We  pen  and  shed  only  in  the  winter.  I  have  found  that  they  require 
shelter  from  rainy  weather  more  than  sheep  do. 

"Have  had  much  less  trouble  from  dogs  than  with  sheep. 

"The  cost  of  keeping  is  very  small.  We  consider  it  practically 
nothing. 

"We  feed  but  very  little  in  the  winter,  and  then  only  straw  and 
brush. 

"Have  never  known  of  any  disease  among  goats  in  this  state. 

"I  have  never  had  occasion  to  dip.  I  feed  sulphur  with  the  salt 
I  give  them  and  this  seems  to  keep  them  free  from  lice. 

'Have  had  best  success  in  breeding  commencing  latter  part  of 
November  or  first  of  December. 

'My  percentage  of  kids  has  been  very  small,  but  I  attribute  it  to 
carlessness  of  my  hired  hands — a  want  of  knowing  how  to  manage  them. 

"Have    very    few    ofT-colored    kids. 

"Very  few  losses  from  death.  It  is  rare  for  a  goat  to  die  except 
from  old  age." 

Mr.  Geo.  A.  Houck,  Engene,  Oregon,  says : 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  500  feet,  and  is  well  suited  to 
the  Angora. 

"We  fence  with  four  boards  and  wire,  or  six  rails,  also  two  boards 
and  tour  wires. 

"We  only  shed  our  nannies. 

"We  usually  keep  50  to  15U  nannies,  and  500  hundred  wethers  in  a 
flock. 

"The  wethers  will  protect  themselves  against  dogs  and  wolves,  but 
the  nannies   will   not. 

"We    only    feed    oak    brush    in    winter. 


410  A    Nnv    Industry. 

"We  figure  on  paying  expenses  with  40  cents  per  head. 

"Have    always    sheared    once,    but    intend    to    shear    twice    hereafter. 

"I  begin  breeding  November  10th  to  20th. 

"Have   had   no   off-colored   kids   in   ten   years. 

"My  losses  are  light,  chiefly  from   old  age  and  accident. 

"As  to  importing  new  blood,  if  we  could  get  good  ones,  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  do;  but  if  we  cannot,  we  can  make  them  good 
enough   from   what   we  have." 

Air.  Scott  Obye.  North  Yamhill.  Oregon  .says  : 

"We  have  our  fencing  of  rails,  or  planks,  whichever  is  most 
convenient. 

"We  do  not  pen  at  night,  and  only  shed  the  goats  in  bad   weather. 

"We  run  1,000  head  in  a  flock. 

"We  feed  only  oak  brush  in   stormy  weather. 

"We   consider  the   cost  of  keeping   gcats   nothing. 

"We  have  been  troubled  some  with   foot-rot. 

"We  consider  goats  a  benefit  to  othei    stock  in   same  pasture. 

"We   begin   breeding   the    last    of   September. 

"Have    twins    only    from    grades;    none    from    thoroughbred    stock. 

"Have  only  had  one  colored  kid  in  seven  years'  breeding. 

"We   have   no   losses." 

Mr.  D.  A.  Walker,  Carlton,  Oregon,  says : 

"I  'sell    my    wethers    to    my    neighbors. 

"I  run  my  goats  loose.  Do  not  pen,  except  in  winter,  when  1  pen 
and  shed   them. 

"I   only   cut   brush   for  them   to   eat   in   winter. 

"Cost  of  keeping  nothing,  except  shearing,  5  cents  per  head. 

"I  breed  November  1st. 

"Have  only  a  few  twins.     No  off-coiors. 

"Goats  that  are  starved  during  the  summer  are  liable  to  take  scours 
in  winter,  and,  owing  to  the  impaired  condition  of  their  constitution, 
may  die.      My   father  lost   quite   a   number   one   winter   from   this   cause. 

"1  keep  my  goats  for  shearing,  not  for  grubbing." 

Mr.  O.  Dowell,  Florence,  Oregon  : 

"We  have  never  had  occasion  to  sell   any  of  our  wether  goats. 
"Fencing  for  goats  needs  to  be  built  up  perpendicular;   matters  not 
what  it  is  made  of,  if  not  rock. 

"Sometimes   I    feed   hay  and   roots   in   winter. 

"Twenty-five  cents  per  annum  will  cover  expense  of  running  goats. 

"I  use  a  tobacco  dip  for  lice. 

"All  of  my  two-year-olds  bring  twins,  and  sometimes  three  and  four. 


Ahfcs — Practical   Breeders.  411 

"Have  very  few  off-colors. 

"My  goats  are  very  large;  wethers  weigh  185  pounds  and  does- 
145  pounds   grown. 

"They  shear  two  and  one-half  pounds  for  does,  and  five  pounds 
for  wethers. 

"My  ranch  is  about  four  miles  from  the  ocean.  The  bottom  land 
is  only  forty  feet,  and  the  hill  land  100  to  300  feet  above  sea  level. 

"I  began  keeping  goats  a  little  over  three  years  ago.  The  increase 
in  that  time  has  been  seventy-five  head  from  five  old  nannies.  Over  half 
my  kids  have  been  males.  When  I  got  them  they  had  foot  rot  very 
badly.  It  took  me  four  or  five  months  to  cure  it.  I  used  vitrol  and  pine 
tar.  Since  cured  of  that  they  have  been  perfectly  healthy  in  every 
respect.  Some  of  my  neighbors  brought  in  some  goats  that  died  from 
leeches  in  their  liver. 

"Some  of  my  goats  take  the  billy  in  August  and  September  and  drop- 
kids  in  January,  and  some  bring  kids  again  in  August.  Some  that 
have  twins  in  winter,  bring  only  one  in  summer.  I  had  one  nannie  that 
had  four  kids  at   one   birth,   and  several   that   had  three." 

Mr.  A.  Blackburn,  North  Yamhill,  Oregon,  says  : 

"We  have  sheds  where  our  goats  can  go  if  they  care  to  have  shelter.. 

"We  are  not  troubled  with  wolves  here,  but  in  Southern  Counties, 
goats   are    raised    where    sheep    have   been    destroyed    by    wolves. 

"We  feed  straw  in  winter  on  rainy  days. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keepinor  25  cents  per  head  per  year,  if  they  have 
a  good  brushy  range. 

"We  use  the   McDougal   Dip   for  lice. 

"Shearing  twice  should  be  given  up  by  all  breeders  as  it  is  ruining 
the  market. 

"We    begin    breeding    here    November   5th. 

"We  only  have  a  few  twin  kids,  and  sometimes  a  sandy  color. 

"Our  death  rate  is  about  four  per  cent." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Hassler.  Larwood,  Oregon,  says  : 

"We  have  a  rail  fence  around  our  goat  pasture. 
"We  have  sheds  for  them  to   go  to  at  will. 
"We   feed   only   straw   in   bad   winter   weather. 

"We    estimate   the    work   they    do    inclearing    land    more    than    pays 
for  the   expense   of  keeping  them. 
"We  use   Wakley's   Dip   for  lice. 
"We   breed   in    November. 

"We  do  not  have  many  twins,  and  occasionly  a  black  or  yellow  kid. 
"We  lose  about  three  to  five  per  cent,   from  death   in  young  stock. 


4i2  A    Nciv    Industry. 

"We  arc  troubled  with  foot  rot  some,  caused  by  too  much  damp, 
low  pasture.  I  have  a  remedy  and  mine  have  not  been  troubled  for 
two  years." 

Mr.  J.  H.  Hawley,  Monniotith,  Oregon,  says : 

"We  sell  wethers  readily  to  farmers. 
"We  have  plank  fencing  for  goat  pastures. 
"We  only  pen  in  case  of  storms. 

"We  feed  only  when  snow  is  on  the  ground.  Feed  straw  and  chop 
grain. 

"We  don't  figure  that  goats  cost  us  anything  but  salt.. 
"We  breed  middle  of  November. 

Mr.  Frank  H.  Rogers,  Gardiner,  Oregon,  says : 

"The  altitude  of  our  section  is  only  200  feet. 

"Our  goats  run  loose.     We  pen  and  shed  them  every  night. 

"I  have  found  them  very  much  more  able  to  protect  themselves 
against  dogs  than  sheep  are.  They  generally  take  a  stand,  and  intimi- 
date a  dog  by  the  bold  front  they  all  present. 

"In  winter  I  feed  clover  and  timothy  hay. 

"I    estimate   cost   of   keeping   goats   25   cents   per   head. 

"Have  had   some   liver   fluke   or  leach,   mange  and   hoof  rot. 

"We   use    different    kinds    of   sheep   dip    for   lice. 

"We   begin   kidding  usually   the   first   of   April. 

"Have  but  few  twins.     No  ofif-colored  kids." 

Mr.  Oscar  Tom,  Angora,  Oregon  : 

"I  only  have  a  small  number  (about  eighty  does),  and  usually  sell 
all  my  male  kids  as  bucks,  consequently  I  do  not  sell  wethers. 

"My  section  is  mountainous  and  I  do  not  herd  my  goats. 

"They  come  home  at  night,  and  if  ihey  are  attacked  by  animals  of 
any  kind  will  run  home  in  the  day  time. 

"I  estimate  the  cost  of  keeping  them  as  nothing. 

"The  only  disease  I  have  had  to  contend  with  has  been  foot-rot, 
and  the  occasional  poisoning  of  one  from  eating  poison  ivy. 

"I  consider  goats  advantageous  to  run  with  other  stock. 

"I  begin  breeding  usually  the  first  of  November. 

Mr.  Masters.  Cleveland,  Oregon,  says : 

"I  find  ready  sale  for  all  my  wethers  to  farmers,  who  use  them  for 
clearing  brush  land. 

"I   fence   with   pickets,   five   feet   high 

"Foot  rot  is  all  the  trouble  we  have  had  in  the  form  of  sickness 
or  disease.     It  seems  to  be  the  same  as  the  sheep  have. 


Notes — Practical   Breeders.  ^/j 

"I    breed    September    loth. 

"I  cull  and  sell  all  my  old  goats,  which  keeps  my  losses  small  from 
death." 

Mr.  James  McDonald,  Alorrison,  Oregon,  says  : 

"I  find  ready  sale  for  my  wethers  to  my  neighbors,  who  use  them 
for  mutton. 

"The  altitude  of  our  section  is  2oU  ftet. 

"I   make   my  pasture  with   poles   woven   with   wire. 

"They  come  to  the  shed  themselves. 

"I  do  not  figure  that  my  goats  cost  me  anything  for  keeping. 

"Have   been   troubled   some   with   scours,    lately. 

"I  don't  dip  for  lice,  but  think  I  ought  to. 

"I  breed  November  10th.'' 

Mr."  X.   Woodward,   Dallas,   Oregon,   says : 

"Pasture  fences  made  from  rails  are  used;  also  from  posts.  1  like 
the  latter  best. 

"I  only  pen  and  shed  my  goats  in  winter. 

"I  find  that  a  bunch  of  wethers,  with  a  lot  of  does,  is  a  safeguard 
against   attacks   from   wolves. 

"I   feed   hay  and   straw   in   winter. 

"I  think  goats  should  not  be  herded   with   sheep. 

"I  breed  the  first  of  November. 

"I  have  no  black  or  ofif-colored  kids. 

"I  regard  the  Angora  goat  as  being  a  very  useful  and  valuable 
animal,  not  alone  for  their  wool,  but  for  their  meat  as  well,  and  for 
clearing    land." 

Mr.  W.  D.  Claggett,  Salem,  Oregon,  says : 

"I  make  fences  out  of  barbed  wire  imd  boards. 

"I  find  that  old  goats  will  defend  themselves  against  wolves,  but 
they  are  bad  on  kids. 

"I  do  not  shed,  or  pen,  them  at  night. 

"I  feed  nothing  but  brush. 

"I  estimate  they  cost  me  nothing  to  keep. 

"Have  had  some  dysentery. 

"I  dip  with  tobacco  for  lice. 

"I  breed  in  November. 

"Twins  only  come  from  my  grade  goats. 

"I  have  a  few  yellow  and  blue  kids. 

"In   small   bands   of   goats  the   loss   is  trifling." 


Y/-/  A    New    Jiidtisfry. 

Messrs.  Conklin  Bros.,  Newville,  California,  says  : 

"In  fencing  to  enclose  goats  we  use  three  seven-inch  boards  and 
one  barbed  wire.  Woven  wire  is  taking  the  k^ad  and  is  being  used  in 
preference    to    anything    else. 

"We  run  our  flocks  in  lots  of  80()  or  !»(I0  head. 

"We  have  found  grown  goats  more  capable  of  resisting  dogs  than 
sheep  are,  but  the  kids  are  liable  to  be  destroyed  by  them  if  away  from 
the  tlock. 

"We  find  a  ready  market  in  San  Francisco  for  all  the  wether 
goats   we    wish    to    sell. 

"We  estimate  the  cost  of  keeping  goats  in  our  section  at  about 
25  cents  per  head  per  year. 

"We  consider  goats  are  a  great  advantage  to  run  with  other  stock, 
rather    than    a    disadvantage. 

"We  begin  breeding  our  goats   November  "iOth. 

"We  think  five  per  cent,   should  cover  all  losses. 

"At  the  present  time  (July  15),  we  have  our  goats  on  the  summit 
of  the  coast  range,  at  an  altitude  of  7,000  feet,  where  all  vegetation  is 
green  and  growing,  and  the  climate  is  very  cool  and  water  as  cold  as  ice. 
Snow  is  on  the  ground  and  the  goats  delight  to  wallow  in  it.  This,  we 
think,  causes  the  mohair  to  grow  earlier  and  faster,  than  in  the  warm 
climate  of  our  winter  range  in  the  Saciamento  valley.  It  seems  that 
nature  tries  to  provide  a  coat  to  correspond  with  the  climate." 

Mr.  E.  L.  Maze,  Upper  Lake.  California,  says : 

"I  generally  run  1,000  to  1,500  head  of  goats  to  a  flock. 
"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping  them  20  cents  per  head  per  year. 
"We   think   the   goat   is   much   more   capable   of   resisting  the   attack 
•of  dogs,   or  wild   animals,   than  the   sheep   is. 

"We   begin   breeding   about    November    1st." 

Mr.  J.   M.  Wimnier,   Millville,   California,   says : 

"We  only  have  occasion  to  feed  a  little  during  the  winter  months, 
which  is  generally  our  older  goats. 

"I    figure  the  cost  of  keeping  50  cents  to   (iO  cents   per  year. 

"Goats  sometimes  get  poisoned,  but  nearly  always  will  recover 
from   it. 

"Our  kidding  season  begins  the  middle  of  April. 

"If  our  goats  are  in  good  condition,  we  estimate  on  a  loss  of  three 
per  cent,    to   four  per   cent,   per  annum.  " 

Air.  F.  0.  Smith,  Skaggs  Springs,  California,  says: 

"Ifind   ready   sale   for   wether   goats   in   San   Francisco. 
"I    only    pen    my    goats    during    kidding    time. 


Notes — Practical    Breeders.  415 

"I   shear  one  time — in  January  or   February. 

"We  aim  to  have  our  kids  come  aftei    March  15th. 

"We   have   more   twins    some   years    than    others. 

"Have  never  had  one  black  kid  in  seven  years. 

"Our  percentage  of  loss  is  very   small.      Mainly   old   does. 

"Fencing. — Many  people  have  the  idea  that  goats  are  very  breechy, 
but  it  is  not  so.  My  first  enclosure  was  a  board  fence,  four  and  one- 
half  feet  high,  such  as  is  seen  along  railroad  lines;  boards  sixteen  feet 
long,  and  posts  eight  feet  apart,  five  boards  to  a  panel.  I  used  wire  on 
one  occasion  and  first  put  my  posts  twelve  feet  apart,  but  found  that  the 
goats  would  crawl  through,  so  I  placed  a  post  in  between  the  others 
making  them  only  six  feet  apart,  which  answered  well.  Picket  fences 
are  largely  used  in  California,  made  from  redwood  timber,  split  in  small 
sizes  and  driven  in  the  ground,  six  to  the  yard.  A  common  brush 
fence,   properly   constructed,    will   turn   goats. 

"Kidding. — I  turn  my  goats  out  early  in  the  morning  and  drive 
them  back  about  D  o'clock,  where  they  remain  until  4  p.  m.,  when  they 
are  allowed  to  feed  again  until  sundown.  As  most  of  the  kids  come 
during  the  time  they  are  in  the  corral,  we  have  very  little  trouble  in 
'packing'  them  to  the  corral.  We  have  a  specially  prepared  place  for 
the  kids  inside  of  a  rough  building  which  consists  of  a  row  of  stalls 
3x3  feet,  into  which  a  doe  and  her  kid  pre  shut  up  for  the  night.  If 
the  kid  has  not  suckled,  it  is  assisted  or  forced  to  do  so.  This  building 
opens  into  a  small  pasture,  as  the  does  have  little  desire  to  leave  their 
kids  for  several  days,  they  are  turned  into  this  pasture  with  their  kids 
and  looked  after  morning  and  evening  to  see  that  they  suck.  After  a 
short  time  the  does  are  turned  into  the  range  and  the  kids  are  allowed  to 
run  in  the  pasture  until  they  are  two  months  old,  when  they  are  placed 
in  the  flock  with  their  mothers. 

"Last  year  I  sent  a  carload  of  fat  wethers  to  San  Francisco,  which 
netted  me  $"2.40  each  for  the  meat.  They  were  all  large,  heavy-fleeced 
animals.  I  had  arranged  in  advance  with  a  butcher  to  handle  them, 
for  which  service  he  received  50  cents  per  head. 

"I  have  heard  of  some  shipments  to  San  Francisco  that  did  not  net 
the  shipper  75  cents  per  head,  owing  to  the  fact  that  no  arrangement 
had  been  made  about  selling  them." 

Mr.  C.  P.  Bailey,  San  Jose,  California,  says : 

"We  run  our  flocks  in  lots  of  1.500  to  2,000  head. 

"Have  found  goats  more  capable  of  resisting  wild  animals  than 
sheep    are. 

"We    sometimes    feed    kids    alfalfa    in    winter. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping  at  (io  cents  per  head  per  year. 

"We  sometimes  dip  our  goats  for  lice.     Use  black-leaf  tobacco  dip. 

"We  begin  breeding  October   1st   to   November  25th." 


^i6  A    Nciv    Industry. 

X.  Y.  Z.,  Ono,  California,  says: 

"We  run  our  goats  in  flocks  of  'iW. 

"Have   two   large   sheds   connected   with   our   corrals. 

"I  lose  quite  a  number  from   wild  animals. 

"Cost  of  keeping  50  cents  to  $1.00  per  head,  according  to  cost 
of  labor. 

"Have  had  goats  eleven  years  and  never  had  any  disease  among 
them. 

"I  keep  cattle  on  same  range  with  my  goats  and  find  they  both 
get  along   well   together. 

"We  shear  twice  a  year,  as  snow  hangs  in  the  wool  in  winter  in  great 
balls  if  allowed  to  get  long. 

"We  have  kids  come  in  April. 

"The    poorest    wooled    does    have    mostly    twins. 

"Have  a  few  red  kids. 

"This  section  of  California  is  mountanous  and  every  one  has  a 
small  flock  of  goats  from  twenty-five  to  300  head. 

"The  last  few  years  cayotes  have  been  very  destructive.  Some 
people  raise  a  dog  with  the  kids  and  it  herds  them  well  when  there  are 
only  a  small  number. 

"When  we  have  a  heavy  crop  of  black  oak  acorns,  I  do  not  raise 
over  fifteen  per  cent,  of  my  kids;  the  most  of  them  die  as  soon  as  born, 
or  are  born  dead.  I  suppose  it  must  be  caused  by  the  acorns, as  I  never 
loose  any,  or  have  any  trouble,  except  following  a  heavy  crop  of  these 
acorns.     A  few  acorns  will  not  afifect  them  seriously. 

"Butchers  buy  all  our  wethers  in  this  country,  and  pay  $1.50  to 
$2.00  each  for  them.  I  deliver  mine  dressed,  at  the  mines,  near  here, 
and  get  5  cents,  to  G  cents,  per  pound,  and  get  about  30  cents  for  my 
skins,  sheared. 

"I  have  never  bought  a  pure  bred  Angora  buck.*  I  buy  or  trade 
for  one  every  second  year,  and  get  the  best  I  can  in  this  part  of  the 
country." 

Mr.  Wm.  Richter,  Ico,  California,  says: 

"We   find   sale   for  wether   goats   anywhere   in   the   State 

"Stock   goats   sell   for  $2.00   to   $3.00   per   head. 

"The  altitude  of  our   County  is   1,000  feet  above   sea  level. 

"We  herd  our  goats  with  a  dog,  and  run  them  in  flocks  of  1,000  head. 
They  herd  them  and  bring  them  home  every  night,  and  keep  wild 
animals   from  bothering  them. 


(*Foot  note.— If  the  reader  will  observe  XYZ's  report  on  shearing, 
he  will  see  that  he  only  receives  two  pounds  from  wethers,  one  and  one- 
half  from  docs,  and  one  pound  from  kids,  which  is  no  doubt  owing  to  the 
need  of  purer  bucks.) 


Notes — Practical   Breeders.  41/ 

"Have  found  goats  more  capable  of  defending  themselves  against 
dogs  than   sheep. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping  goats  nothing. 

"We  begin  breeding  in   October. 

"We  have  a  great  many  twin  kids  every  other  year. 

"We  figure  our  per  cent,   of  loss  nothing  from   death." 

Mr.  Jas.  H.  Dunison,  Upper  Lake,  California,  says : 

"We  have  only  found  a  market  for  our  wethers  in  late  years.  We 
sell  at  San  Francisco,   now,   without  trouble. 

"I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  importing  new  blood.  That  is,  what  is 
needed. 

"We  run  them  in  flocks  of  1,000  head. 

"We  find  them  more  capable  of  protecting  themselves  from  wild 
animals  and  dogs  than  sheep  are. 

"I   do  not  feed  in  winter  but   I  think  it  will  pay  to  do   so. 

"I  estimate  cost  of  keeping  15  cents  to  20  cents  per  head. 

"Regarding  disease,  goats  sometimes  get  poisoned.  They  call  it 
blind  staggers." 

Mr.  Philo  Ogden,  Upper  Lake,  California,  says : 

"We  find  ready   sale   for  our   wethers   at  home   markets. 

"Our  altitude  is  2,000  feet  above  sea  level. 

"We  pasture  our  goats  and  use  board  and  picket  fencing. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping,  per  year,  $1.00  per  head. 

"We  begin   kidding  April   1st. 

"We   have   about   ten   per   cent,    twins. 

"No  colored  kids." 

Mr.  Jacob  Oaks,  Paskenta,  California,  says : 

"We  find  market  for  our  wether  goats  in  small  towns. 

"Our   altitude   is    1000   feet. 

"We  have  known  them  to  bunch  up  and  fight  dogs. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping,  15  cents  per  head  per  year. 

"We  begin  breeding  October  25. 

"We  have  a  great  many  twins  and  very  often  triplets. 

"I  started  in  with  only  a  few  goats  for  meat  purposes,  and  soon  had 
quite  a  flock  of  them  which  I  let  out  on  shares,  as  I  have  no  brush  land 
on  my   farm   now." 

E.  R.  Williams,  Redding,  Cal.    says : 

"Am    in    favor    of   starting    a    register   and    importing    new    blood 
wherever  we  can  get  the  best. 

"Any  ordinary  close  fence  will  hold  goats. 


4i8  A  Nczv  Indiisfry. 

"I  regard  them  an  advantage  to  other  stock,  rather  than  a  disad- 
vantage when  they  are  kept  in  the  same  pasture. 

"We  begin  breeding  in  October. 

"Some  of  mj'  neighbors  are  bothered  with  'crooked  kids.'  They 
say   it    is    acorns.      I    think    it    comes    from    in-breeding. 

"I  have  dogs  trained  to  stay  with  my  goats.  It  is  a  great  success 
with  small    llocks. 

"We  have  but  very  few  losses  from  death.  Have  lost  some  -from 
eating  buckeye  and  milk  weed.     I   dose  them  with  lard. 

"There  are  quite  a  number  of  goat  raisers  in  this  section." 

Mr.    R.   J.    Linton,   Ager,   California,    says: 

"I  butcher  all  my  own  wether  goats  ?nd  market  them  at  Yreka. 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  80U  feet. 

"We    run   them    in   flocks    of   400. 

"We  find  that  goats  are  more  capable  of  defending  themselves  from 
dogs  or  wild  animals  than  sheep  are.  They  stand  and  look  at  them 
when   sheep   will    run   away. 

"Cost  of  keeping  is  a  boy's   wages,  $10.00   per  month. 

'T  intend  to  practice  dipping  for  lice  though  I  never  have  done 
so  yet.     I  shall  use  tobacco  stems. 

"We  begin  breeding  November  1st. 

"Have    very    few    black    kids." 

A.   Moon,  Una,  Cal. : 

"We  sell  our  mutton  goats  at  our  home  market. 

"Pasture    sometimes    and    herd    sometimes. 

"Our  fencing  is  made  from  pickets. 

"Have  only  about  500  head. 

"We  only  feed  clover  hay  in  bad,   snowy  weather. 

"Cost  of  keeping  is  very  small. 

"Begin   breeding   November   15th. 

"Have   very    few   ofif-colored    kids." 

]^Jr.  Jas.  \\'ilder,  Paskenta,  California,  says: 

"We    only   pen   goats   in   winter   time. 

"Have  never  lost  a  goat  by  wolves.  The  wild  cats  are  very  bad  on 
young    kids. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  running  goats,  '25  cents  to  35  cents,  according 
to  how   they   are   run. 

"W'c    begin    breeding    November    1st." 

Mr.  J.  j.  (^sorne,  Lowrey,  Tehama  County, California, says : 

"I  have  only  been  in  the  goat  business  six  years.  I  commenced  with 
"200    nannies.       My     goats     are     of     the     Julius  Weyand     stock.     I  have 


Notes — Practical    Breeders.  41Q 

sold  4U0  head,  and  still  have  1,100  head.  My  range  is  better  than  it 
has  ever  been.  Goats  are  good  property  now,  and  they  are  easily 
handled. 

"I  have  sheds  '200  feet  long  for  kidding.  I  have  pens  for  doe.';  and 
kids  along  one  side  of  my  shed,  about  twenty  inches  high,  so  that 
nannies  can  jump  in  to  their  kids.  When  the  kid  is  large  enough  to 
jump  out,  I  let  him  go  with  his  mother.  I  find  this  easier  than  picketing 
them  out  with  rope. 

"I   raised  500  goats  this  spring. 

"My  range,  before  I  got  goats,  I  could  not  run  twenty-five  head 
■of  cattle  on;  now  I  can  run  150  head  of  cattle.  Goats  are  the  stock 
for  brushy  land;  they  clear  the  land  and  the  grass  takes  its  place. 

"]\Iy  goats  shear  four  pounds  a  year.  I  shear  twice  a  year.  My  fall 
clip  cleared  me  27  cents,  and  my  spring  clip  26V3   cents. 

"I  take  lots  of  interest  in  my  goats.  I  think  they  are  the  stock  for 
a  poor  man  to  raise.  When  I  started  in  the  goat  business,  1  borrowed 
$650.00  and  paid  ten  per  cent,  interest  on  it;  now  I  have  paid  ofif  that 
note  and  bought  l,tiO(l  acres  of  land  just  of¥  my  goats.  I  got  my  range 
for  "25  cents  an  acre,  and  wouldn't  sell  it  today  for  $2.00  an  acre." 

Mr.  D.  C.  Taylor,  Lake  Valley,  N.  M.,  says: 

"I  think  we  have  the  best  goat  country  in  the  world  m  the  Black 
Range  Mountains.  Altitude  6,000  feet.  Dry  climate  (only  about  six 
inches  rain,  on  an  average  per  year,  and  nearly  all  this  in  July).  Plenty 
of  evergreen  brush,  and  plenty  of  range.  Water  is  scarce,  on  which 
account  a  watered  place  commands  a  large  free  range.  I  only  own 
three  forty-acre  tracts,  and  control  30,000  acres  of  range. 

"I  had  about  800  does  this  (1899)  year  and  will  raise  about  783  kids, 
with   one   $10.00-a-month    Mexican   boy    for    herder. 

"I  have  my  pens  so  arranged  that  two  men  can  ?ave  all  the  kids 
from  1,000  does  with  very  little  labor.     It  is  all   in  knowing  how. 

"I  shear  my  dry  goats  twice  a  year;   my  breeding  does  only  once." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Hig-htower.  Riiidosa,  N.  M.,  says : 

"I  sell  my  wethers  at  home  without  trouble. 

"I  find  this  country  well  adapted  to  the  goat  business.  Altitude  is 
<),500  feet. 

"I  run  1,200  in  a  flock.  I  have  seen  as  many  as  3,000  head  in 
•one  flock. 

"I  estimate  40  cents  as  cost  of  keeping  per  year. 

"I  breed  about  November  15th. 

"Percentage  of  loss  from  natural  causes  is  small,  probably  two  per 
cent.,  but  sometimes  the  loss  is  heavy  after  shearing,  unless  they  are 
protected  by  sheds." 


420  A  New  Iiuiiisfry. 

Mr.  A.  D.  Xorcop.  Separ.  X.  M.,  says: 

"This  is  what  niiglit  be  called  a  semi-desert  country.  Brush  is 
scarce.  We  have  sotol,  corahanoo  palmyra,  or  dagger,  mesquite,  grease 
wood,  etc.,  etc.  Higher  up  in  the  Burro  Mountains  we  have  what  is 
known  as  mahogony  oak,  juniper,   and  other  brush. 

"We  don't  think  it  advisable  to  run  goats  with  other  stock  in  this 
country.  Our  water  is  scarce,  and  I  don't  think  horses,  or  cattle,  like  to 
drink  at  the  same  trough  wi^h  goats.  Besides  this,  the  goats  are 
often  either  killed  or  injured  by  the  larger  stock  when  they  are  watering 
at  the   same   time. 

"I   have  Mexican  herders. 

"I    sell    our    mutton    at    Silver    City. 

"I    have   known   of   goats   killing   the   cayote    when   the    latter   has 
sneaked  into  their  corral  or  pen. 

"I  estimate  cost  of  keeping  goats  here,  2o  cents  per  head  per  annum. 

"I  have  never  dipped  for  lice  but  intend  to  begin  the  practice  as  I 
consider  it  would  be  an  advantage  to  the  animal. 

"I  do  not  have  very  many  twin  kids,  and  but  a  few  off-colored  kids 
which   I  usually  kill." 

Mr.  E.  Weistrand,  Cooney,  N.  IM.,  says : 

"I  think  we  have  the  finest  goat   country   in  America. 
"I   run   1,000   nannies   in   a   flock. 
"I    begin    breeding    in    November. 
"Have   no   off-colored   kids." 

The  Onderdonk  Live  Stock  Co.,  Lamy,  N.  M.,  say: 

Our  experience  has  been  greater  with  the  common  (Mexican) 
goat  than  with  the  Angora;  but  we  are  of  the  opinion  the  latter  class 
are  much  better  adapted  to  this  climate  than  the  former.  They  seem 
to  be  better  able  to  stand  the  cold  weather;  and,  with  no  greater  care, 
will  take  on  more  flesh  than  the  common  goat. 

"We  have  purchased  a  range  of  28,000  acres  of  land  which  we  have 
fenced,  not  so  much  to  hold  our  goats  as  to  prevent  any  of  our  neighbors' 
stock  ranging  on  our  property. 

"We  herd  in  bands  of  1,500  to  1,000  head  and  have  drilled  wells, 
at  convenient  distances  (four  to  six  miles  apart),  and  have  located  at 
the  wells  corrals  for  working  and  'kidding'  our  goats. 

"We  have  properly  trained  Collie  dogs  to  assist  our  shepherds.  They 
seem  to  be  very  useful  in  gathering  up  any  stray  goats,  and  in  herding 
the  flock. 

"We  are  greatly  troubled  with  cayotes,  and  are  looking  for  some  kind 
of  dog  that  will  attack  them,  or  keep  them  off  our  range. 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  421 

"Regarding  the  acquiring  of  land  in  this  country,  the  cost  of  it,  etc., 
I  can  give  you  very  little  information  outside  of  our  own  experience. 
We  are  pasturing  on  our  own  land.  Of  course,  the  Government  land 
is  free  grazing,  and  we  suppose  it  can  be  acquired  by  the  usual  laws  of  the 
United  States  relating  to  that  matter;  probably  at  a  cost  of  $1.50  an 
acre  and  upwards. 

"The  cost  of  digging,  wells  varies  according  to  the  situation.  We 
have  our  own  machine  and  employ  drillers  by  the  month,  but  previous 
to  this  we  contracted  the  work  at  $1.50  per  foot  for  the  first  hundred  feet, 
and  $2.00  per  foot  for  the  second  hundred  feet.  We  have  some  fine  wells 
thirty-five  (35)  feet  deep,  and  some  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  (235) 
feet  deep,  depending  on  the  situation;  as  in  some  places  the  ground  is 
soft  and  easily  drilled  and  in  other  places  it  seems  to  be  composed  of 
volcanic  rock  and  is  extremely  hard.  I  think,  however,  it  would  be 
safe  to  say  that  wells  one  hundred  (100)  feet  deep  would  average  $1.50 
per  foot." 

"I  only  pen  my  goats  in  winter. 

Mr.  A.  R.  Tate,  Wintersett,  Iowa,  says: 

"I   feed   rough   hay,   fodder,etc. 
"I  count  the  cost  of  keeping  very  little. 

"My  goats  run  with  cattle  and  seem  to   get  along  well   with  them. 
"I    breed    for   April    kids. 

"I  have  one  pair  of  twins  in  about  eight  does.  Only  a  few  colored 
kids.'  ' 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  Platteville,  Iowa,  says : 

"I  have  had  no  trouble  to  sell  all  my  wether  goats  at  any  of  our  large 
markets. 

"I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  import  new  blood.  Think  we  have  as 
good   as    we    could   get   anywhere. 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  800  feet. 

"I   use   twenty-four-inch   woven   wire   and   two   barbed   wires   above. 

"I  only  pen  in  cold,   rainy  weather. 

"I  have  had  some  kids  killed  by  dogs,  but  never  any  old  goats. 

"I  feed  goats  about  the  same  as  sheep.  The  cost  of  keeping  is  about 
the  same  also. 

"I  have  never  had  a  sick  goat. 

"I  use  arsenic,  one  pound  to  sixteen  gallons  of  water,  for  a  dip  to 
kill  lice. 

"I  think  a  few  goats  are  an  advantage  to  other  stock  in  same 
pasture. 

"I  breed  December  1st. 

"I   have   had  very  few  twins;   about   one.  per   cent,   off-colors. 

"I  have  had  no  loss  by  death,  to  speak  of." 


422  A  Ncic  Iiidiistry. 

Messrs.  Morgan  &  Morgan,  Clay,  Iowa,  say : 

■'We  have  no  trouble  in  selling  muuon  goats  in   Chicago. 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  2,000  feet. 

'"Our  goat  pasture  is  enclosed  with  a  woven-wire  base,  twenty-six 
inches  high,  and  two  barbed  wires  on  top. 

"They  take  good  care  to  go  into  the  shed  when  they  want  to, 
without  any   driving. 

"We  feed  goats  fodder,  same  as  sheep. 

"We  estimate  cost  of  keeping,  50  cents  per  head. 

"We   use   a   tobacco   dip   for   lice. 

"We   breed   in   November." 

Mr.  T.  J.  Booth,  Cresco,  Iowa,  says: 

"I  feed  clover  and  oats  in  winter. 

"Some    of   my    goats    have    swelling    of   the    throat,    like    bronchitis. 

"I  use  carbolic  acid  and  water  for  a  dip  to  kill  lice. 

"I  breed  November  "20th." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Morton,  Indianola,  Iowa,  says : 

"I    use   woven    wire    (Kitselman's). 

"I  feed  in  winter,  hay  and  a  little  corn. 

"Cost  of  keeping  is  $1.00. 

"A  few  of  mine  have  sore  feet. 

"I  breed  in  November." 

Hon.  A.  H.  Edwards,  Audubon,   Iowa: 

■"I  have  found  Angoras  do  very  well  in  this  section. 

"I   place  all   my  wethers  in   Chicago   market   without   any   difficulty.. 

"I  enclose  my  goat  pasture  with  five  wires. 

"I   only   shed   them   in  winter. 

"I  feed  grain  and  hay  in  winter. 

"I  dip  in  'Cooper  Dip'  for  lice." 

Mr.  S.  S.  McKibben,  Earlham,  Iowa,  says : 

"My  experience  in  breeding  the  Angora  goat  has  been  limited, 
but  I  have  gone  far  enough  to  know  that  our  country  is  admirably 
adapted  to  them,  and  that  they  will  produce  a  larger  amount  of  mohair 
of  a  smoother  and  better  character,  than  in  Texas,  where  I  have 
received  nearly  all  my  goats  from. 

"I  have  sold  goats  to  possibly  500  different  parties,  in  lots  vary- 
ing from  a  single  animal,  up  to  as  many  as  "200;  and  I  have  not  yet 
heard  of  any  dissatisfaction;  but,  upon  the  contrary,  all  are  well  pleased 
with  them,   and   many   of  them   intend   to   increase   their   holdings. 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  42^ 

"I  breed  in  December  so  that  I  have  my  kids  come  at  a  time  (May) 
when  vegetation  is  well  started,  and  it  gives  me  ample  time  to  shear 
in  April   before   the   kidding  begins. 

"I  feed  hliock  corn  to  'rough'  my  goats  through  the  colder  months 
(unless  there  are  plenty  of  hazel  nuts),  and  they  have  free  run  to  a 
stack  of  oat   straw,   or   some   other  kind   of   'roughness.' 

"I  think  it  is  proper  to  let  them  go  to  water  and  salt  whenever 
they  are   so   inclined. 

"My  experience  has  been  that  if  the  goats  are  brought  into  the 
State  of  Iowa  during  the  spring  or  summer  months,  they  will  do  better 
than  if  brought  here  in  the  winter. 

"My  losses  have  been  almost  entirely  confined  to  stock  that  I  have 
imported   from  Texas  in   cold   weather." 

Mr.  J.   R.   Barnette,  Globe,  Arizona,   says : 

"I   find  a  local  demand  for  mutton. 

"The  altitude  of  our  section  of  country  is  4,000  feet. 

"I  loose  herd  my  goats. 

"Never  pen  them  except  to  work  with  them. 

"Do  not  shed  any. 

"I  only  have  about  900  head.  1,500  can  be  run  in  one  flock  easily, 
and  with  greater  profit  of  course. 

"I  do  not  think  there  is  much  difference  between  sheep  and  goats 
as  far  as  wild  animals  are  concerned.  I  have  seen  a  little  cayote  scare 
a  big  flock  of  goats  nearly  to  death. 

"I  usually  breed  October  1st. 

"I   have  but   few   twins   in   my  better   grades   of   goats. 

"Goats   are   kept    here    strictly    for   mohair." 

Mr.  J.  F.  Holder,  Payson,  Arizona,  says : 

"I  find  sale  for  all  my  mutton  goats  at  the  local  mining  camps. 

"I  run  300  to  1,000  in  a  flock. 

"  I  find  wild  animals  troublesome  at  times. 

"I   estimate  cost  of  keeping,  45  cents  per  year. 

"I   begin  kidding,   generally,    May   IsL. 

"I  am  in  favor  of  importing  new  blood  for  stud  flocks,  and  any 
others  who  want  them,  but  if  the  average  breeder  would  try  to  get  the 
best  bucks  they  can  from  our  home  stud  flocks,  instead  of  using  any 
$10.00  buck,  because  he  'looks  well,'  and  'nearly'  as  good  as  a  Harris 
and  Baylor,  or  a  Landrum  buck,  they  would  have  much  better  blood 
than  they  now  have,  and  the  United  States  standard  of  mohair  would 
go  up  rapidly. 


U2U  A  Nczv  Industry. 

"I  do  not  herd  my  goats,  I  just  watch  them  a  good  distance  off 
(loose  herd  them).  Goats  are  not  Hke  sheep,  and  have  to  be  driven  to 
feed  and  back  to  the  ranch  when  night  comes.  The  goat  wants  his 
liberty  and  will  stay  fatter  the  year  round,  and  produce  more  mohair, 
if  they  are  turned  loose,  and  permitted  to  go  where  they  prefer.  If 
you  give  them  plenty  of  fine  salt,  or  sheep  salt,  they  will  come  home 
at  night  and  lay  in,  and  around,  the  corral,  and  leave  next  morning 
when  they  get  ready.  Follow  along  after  them  and  see  that  nothing 
bothers  them,  but  do  not  restrain  them,  and  they  will  do  better  and 
produce  you  more  mohair,  and  of  a  better  quality. 

"I  think  black,  or  colored,  kids  are  an  indication  of  bad  blood.  I 
had  several  blue-backed  kids  last  year,  but  as  I  am  cutting  out  all  the 
time,  and  breeding  up  at  the  same  time,  I  have  very  few  kids  that 
were  blue  or  red  this  year. 

"I  select  bucks  on  individual  merit,  and  some  on  'long  breeding,' 
but  mostly  on  the  grade  and  quality  of  the  buck's  offspring.  I  don't  give 
a  snap  for  the  general  appearance  of  a  buck  if  his  kids  are  above  the 
average  standard.  I  buy  a  buck  for  his  ability  to  get  kids — one  that 
will  put  mohair  of  a  superior  kind  all  over  them." 

Mr.  Ira  Harper,  Clifton,  Arizona,  says  : 

"I  find  my  section  well  suited  to  the  Angora. 

"Our  altitude  is  7,000  feet. 

"I  don't  herd  but  let  them  run  loose.     I  only  have  about  300. 

"My  goats  always  run  home  when  anything  disturbs  them  on  the 
range. 

"My  flock  has  only  cost  me  'plenty  of  salt.' 

"I  let  my  bucks  run  with  my  flock  all  year.  I  think  November  is 
the  proper  month  to  breed. 

"I    have    about   twenty-five    per   cent,    of    kids. 

"I  attribute  my  success  to  plenty  of  salt. 

"I  have  had  wethers  to  come  back  home  after  they  had  been  driven 
ten  miles  away,  which  is  something  a  sheep  has  not  sense  enough 
to  do." 

Wm.  Horn,  Camp  Verde,  Arizona : 

"I  butcher  my  own  goats   (wethers)  and  sell  them  at  home. 
"I  think  this  section  is  a  little  too  cold. 
"I  herd  my  goats  with  dogs. 
"I  have  about  400  head. 

"I  find  them  almost  the  same  as  sheep,  as  far  as  wild  animals  are 
concerned. 

"I  feed  alfalfa  hay  in  winter. 

"My  expense  is  about  40  cents  per  year  per  head. 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  425 

"Have   had   some   'catarrh.' 

"I  kid  in  April,  generally. 

"About  five   per  cent,   off-colored  kids." 

Mr.  C.  D.  Tuthill,  Tuthill,  Minn.,  says : 

"I  am  convinced  that  the  Angora  goat  is  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able animals  vi^e  can  propagate. 

"I  have  demonstrated  to  my  entire  satisfaction  that  I  can  produce 
meat  for  my  family  and  hired  hands  cheaper  from  goats  than  from 
any  other  class  of  live  stock,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  the  most  healthful, 
as  well  as  tempting  to  the  appetite. 

"Since  I  have  been  keeping  goats,  and  eating  their  rich,  juicy 
meat,  I  have  a  far  greater  regard  for  the  good  sense  of  Rebecca  when 
old  Isaac  was  blind  and  wanted  a  savory  dish.  She  did  not  select  a 
boned  turkey,  or  stewed  oysters,  but  a  tender  young  kid.  And  the  milk 
of  the  goat  is  the  healthiest  known,  and  many  invalids  could  be 
nursed  back  to  health;  and  the  lives  of  many  sickly  children  saved 
by  simply  using  goat's  milk. 

"I  had  one  grade  Angora  nanny  (doe)  that  would  give  me  three 
quarts  per  day.  This  same  doe  not  only  brought  forth,  but  raised  ten,  kids 
in  five  years. 

"I  have  pastured  goats  with  horses,  with  sheep  and  hogs,  and  have 
never  had  anything  but  the  best  results.  I  do  not  believe  there  is  a  case 
on  record  where  the  goat  has  crossed  with  the  sheep. 

"I  use  our  mutton  wethers  at  home. 

"I  have  found  this  section  most  admirably  adapted  to  raising  the 
Angora. 

"I  fence  with  seven  barbed  wires,  posts  ten  feet  apart. 

"I  only  have  about  100  head. 

"I   feed  wild  hay  and  corn   fodder  in   winter. 

"I   begin  breeding  May   1st. 

"Occasionally  an  off-colored  kid. 

"My  goats  cost  me  less  than  $1.00  per  head  per  year. 

"Loss  from  death  is  little  or  nothing." 

Mr.  A.  G.  Wilcox,  Hugo,  Minn,  says : 

"We  use  our  muton  goats  at  home. 
"I   fence  with  woven  wire. 
"I  only  shed  them  in  bad  weather. 
"My  flock  consists  of  seventy-five. 

"I  find  my  older  goats  more  capable  of  resisting  dogs,  but  the  kids 
about  the  same  as  sheep. 

"I  feed  hay,   corn  fodder  and  oats   in   winter. 

"I   estimate   $1.00   per   head   the   expense   of   keeping. 


426  A  Xc^c  Industry. 

"I   use   'Cooper's   Dip'   for  dipping   'o   kill   lice. 

"I   begin   breeding  in   December. 

"About   five   per   cent,   twins. 

"Occasionally  a  reddish  or  yellow  kid. 

"Have  had  no  losses  from  death. 

"When  I  got  goats  first,  we  had  fences  that  were  all  right  for 
sheep  and  pigs,  but  were  no  restraint  to  goats.  They  would  go 
through  anything  we  had,  and  were  a  great  nuisance.  In  the  spring 
[  built  a  woven-wire  fence  (Lamb's)  of  the  Page  type,  and  thai 
held  them.      No  trouble  since." 

Mr.  E.  Graves,  Princeton,  Minn.,  says: 

"I  purchased  my  first  goats  from   Mr.   C.   D.  Tuthill. 
"I   have   found  this '  section   very   well   suited   to   raising   goats. 
"I   feed   only   good   hay   in   winter. 
"Have   never   known   of  any   disease   among   them. 
"I  begin  breeding  in  January. 

"I  would  not  farm  without  goats.  I  find  that  my  fheep  keep  much 
healthier  since  I  have  had  goats." 

}\[v.  A.   Lippincntt,  Sheridan,   ,Mo.,  says : 

"I   use  woven  wire  for  fencing. 

"I    feed    straw   and   corn    fodder. 

"Estimate  cost  of  keeping.  50  cents  per  head  per  yean 

"Begin   breeding   November    1st. 

"Have    no    ofT-colored    kids. 

"Have   had   no   deaths  or  disease." 

Mr.  L.  B.  Dougherty,  Liberty,  ]\Io.,  says : 

"I  only  had  fifty  head  of  nannies.  Kept  them  five  years.  Liked 
ihem  very  well.  Kept  no  account  of  shearing  or  other  statistics.  Made 
nothing  out  of  the  venture,  but  could  with  proper  care  make  them  very 
profitable.     Don't  know  any  one   in  our  country  who   owns   goats." 

Mr.  \\'.  J.  Seever,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  says: 

"The  altitude  of  the  section  where  I  have  goats  is  9W  feet. 

"I    fence    with    seven    barb    wire. 

"Only  have  to  shed  in  bad  weather. 

"I  have  found  goats  will  invariably  face  a  dog,  and  will  generally 
intimidate   the  brute   with   his  boldness. 

"They  earn  more  than  they  cost  to  keep. 

"Have  never  heard  of  any  disease. 

"I  regard  goats  as  being  a  great  advantage  to  other  sto:k  in  the 
same  pasture. 


Xotcs — Practical  Binders.  427 

"Referring  to  mutton  qualities,  I  frequently  visit  our  stock  yards. 
and  have  noticed  that  fat  Angora  goats  are  snapped  up  very  fast  by  the 
packers,  at  prices  higher  than  I  care  to  pay  for  breeding  purposes.  I 
have  seen  fat  wethers  bring  prices  equal  to  sheep,  and  a  few  thin  does 
made  but  little  difference  in  the  sale." 

Mr.  J.  Glome  Miles,  Silver  Bend,  Mont.,  says  : 

"I  have  found  Montana  a  fine  goat  country. 

"I  have  only  about  350  head,  which  I  pen  every  night,  in  winter  and 
spring. 

"I  find  them  very  little  trouble,  and  only  feed  them  occasionly  in 
winter   with   wild   hay. 

"They  are  free  from  all  diseases. 

"I   dip   them,   when   necessary,   for   lice,    with   lime   and    sulphur. 

"I  begin  breeding  December  10th." 

Mr.  S.  S.  Brannin,  Marysville,  Mont.,  says : 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  5,000  feet,  and  is  very  finely  suited 
to  raising  goats. 

"I  herd  my  goats  some,  and  let  them  run  loose  as  well,  at 
times. 

"I  pen  in  the  winter  and  shed  them  too. 

"I   only   have   about   700. 

"I  breed   November  1st. 

"About  four-fifths  of  my  does  have  twins. 

"No  ofif-colored. 

"My  losses  seldom  exceed  two  or  three  per  cent, 

Mr.  J.  S.  Harris,  Oakley,  Idaho,  says : 

"I   do   not   sell   any   wethers. 

"Our  country,  I  think,  is  too  cold  and  blustery  to  raise  goats  to  the 
best  advantage.  The  cost  is  too  great  compared  with  milder  climates 
and   percentage    of   increase    much    less. 

"I  herd  my  goats  and  feed  alfalfa  hay  in  the  winter  months. 

"I  dip  with  Zenoleum,  which  I  think  is  very  good. 

"I    begin    breeding    November    15th. 

"The  increase  here  is  about  seventy-five  per  cent. 

"Death  rate  is  seldom  over  five  per  cent. 

"I  rarely  have  twin  kids,  and  very  seldom  any  off-colored. 

"If  we  are  to  import  any  new  blood,  I  prefer  that  they  should  come 
from  Turkey." 

Dr.  Tuttle,  Taconia,  Wash.,  says  : 

"I   have   not  found  this   section  very  well   adapted   to   raising  goats. 
"I  allow  my  goats  to  run  loose,  and  have  my  bucks  with  them  the 
year  round. 


4^8  A  New  Industry. 

"I   keep  them   in  pasture   in   straight  rail   fence. 

"I  only  pen  them  in  winter,  and  shed  them  in  bad  weather. 

"I  feed  only  when  weather  is  bad  in  the  winter.  Mostly  hay,  and  oat 
straw. 

"The  cost  of  keeping  hardly  exceeds  25  cents  per  head. 

"I  have  had  the  scours  attack  some  of  my  old  does. 

"I   do  not  dip  for  lice. 

"I  think  goats  are  objectionable  with  milch  cows,  but  not  with 
"horses. 

"My  kids  begin  to  come  about  March  1st." 

Name    omitted,    Bucoda,    Wash.,    says : 

"I  find  ready  sale  for  my  muttons  to  home  butchers. 

"The  aUitude  here  is   140  feet. 

"We  make  our  pasture  fence  out  of  lails  and  posts. 

"We  only  pen  during  rainy  season. 

"We  have  never  been  bothered  with  dogs  or  wolves. 

"We  do  not  have  to  feed   much   in  winter. 

"Aside  from  pasture,   15  cents  per  head  will  cover  expenses. 

"Have  never  dipped  for  lice,  but  intend  to  begin  doing  so. 

"My  cows  and  horses  feed  with  them  all  right. 

"I   breed  middle  of  October. 

"After  they  are  two  years  old,  two-thirds  of  them  have  twins. 

"Have   no   ofif-colored   kids. 

"Have  only  lost  six  old  goats  in  eight  years." 

Air.   Chris    Niellson,   BurHngton,   Wyo.,   says: 

I   find   sale  for  wethers  among  my  neighbors. 

We    run    1,500    in    a    flock,    but    they    will    do    better    in    smaller 


floe 
the 


'The  old  ones  are  less  liable  to  destruction  from  wild  animals  than 
.ids. 
I   estimate  50  cents  per  year  expense  of  keeping. 
I  have  dipped  with  lime  and  sulphur  for  lice  ,  but  it  is  not  good. 
I   breed  here   middle  of  December. 
Have   a   good   many  twins,   but   very   few   off-colored. 
]\Iy    goats    have    been    sent    to    Utah,    where    I    formerly    ranched 
litem,  but  I  shall  remain  here." 

Mr.  Jos.   R.   HambUn,   Kanab,  Utah,   says : 

"I  have  very  poor  sale  for  wethers. 

"My  place  is  excellent  for  goat  raising.     Altitude  4000  feet. 

"I  herd  my  goats  on  account  of  wild  animals. 

"I  run  1.500  to  2,000  head  in  a  flock. 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  42^ 

"I  estimate  cost,  30  cents  per  head  per  year. 

"We  begin  kidding  May  1st. 

"Nearly  all  our  yearlings  have  twins,  but  very  few  off-colors. 

"From  my  experience  with  the  Angora,  I  have  found  them  to  be 
very  intelligent  and  interesting  animals.  While  they  are  very  persistent 
and  contrary,  it  is  very  easy  to  control  and  handle  them.  They  are 
very  sensitive  to   wet,   cold  weather,   yet  they   can   endure   a   great   deal. 

"As  to  drouth,  scarcity  of  water  and  heat,  I  believe  the  goat  is 
the  hardiest  of  all  animals.  The  female  is  a  very  good  mother,  and 
most  excellent  multiplier,  seldom  having  less  than  two;  and,  although 
a  good  suckler,  will  not  care  for  more  than  one  of  them,  unless  proper 
care  is  taken.  The  kid  is  very  stupid  when  young,  and  cannot  stand 
wet,  cold  weather.  As  it  grows,  however,  it  adapts  itself  to  the  climate 
and  becomes  quite  playful.  They  are  very  nice,  but  troublesome,  pets. 
The  coyote  loves  to  catch  them ;  the  wild  cat  is  even  more  fond  of 
them,  and  these  two  animals  cause  much  loss  in  young  kids  unless  great 
care  is  taken. 

"I  have  found  the  most  practical  way  of  kidding  is  to  stake  or  pen 
each  kid,  or  pair  of  kids,  separately,  for  at  least  three  weeks.  If  you 
pen,  have  it  just  about  large  enough  for  the  mothers  and  kids,  leaving  a 
low  place  for  the  mother  to  jump  in,  or  cut,  and  too  high  for  the  kid  to 
jump  out.  If  you  stake  the  kids  you  should  attach  a  string  to  the  left,  or 
right,  fore  foot  (string  about  two  feet  long),  and  tie  fast  to  a  peg 
driven  down  close  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  If  you  stake  twins,  the 
one  by  the  right,  and  the  other  by  the  left  fore  leg,  and  stake  them  to 
the  same  pin.  If  there  should  be  more  than  two,  tie  them  all  so  that  they 
may  have  free  play,  and  yet  be  together. 

"The  old  scientific  theory  of  handling  kids  with  gloved  hands  is 
very  absurd,  for  we  have  learned  by  experience  that  you  may  carry  a 
kid  a  long  distance,  and  the  main  thing  is  to  have  the  mother  (who 
will  naturally  follow  the  kid  when  you  pick  it  up  to  carry  it  away)  to 
smell  of  the  kid,  to  be  sure  it  is  her  own,  and  you  will  have  no  more 
trouble  with  her." 

Mr.  R.  C.  Johnston,  Lawrence,  Kan.,  says : 

"I  have  found  our  section  of  country  very  well  adapted  to  raising 
the  Angora. 

"The  altitude  is  1,000  feet  above  sea  level.  . 

"I  fence  with  barbed  wire,  seven  strands,  five  inches  apart  from 
the  ground  for  four  wires;  and  seven  inches,  nine  inches,  and  twelve 
inches,  for  the  remaining  three  strands;  posts  ten  feet  apart,  and  stays 
every  three  feet.  This  makes  a  goat  proof  as  well  as  a  good  stock  fence 
generally. 

"I  pasture  my  goats  always,  and  pen  them  every  night. 


4J(>  A  Nczc  Industry. 

"I  ha\e  never  had  any  trouble  from  either  dogs  or  wolves.  I  put 
bells  on  quite  a  number. 

"I   feed   corn   fodder,   hay   and   straw   in   winter. 

"I  estimate  cost  of  keeping.  3j  cents  to  45  cents  per  head  per 
year. 

"Have  never  had  any  disease  of  any  kind. 

"I  have  practiced  dipping  for  lice,  with  arsenic. 

''I  have  my  kids  to  come  in  April." 

]\Ir.  J.  K.  Young.  Woodward.  Ok.,  says : 

"I    market   my   mutton   goats   in    Kansas    City. 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  3,000  feet. 

"I  herd  my  goats  on  bunch  grass,  .and  scrub  oak  brush. 

"I   only  have  to   shed  in   spring  and   bad  weather. 

"I  run  flocks  of  1,000  to  1,500. 

"I  feed  only  in  severe  storms,  dry  hay. 

"I   estimate  cost  of  keep,  25   cents. 

'"I   begin  breeding   December   1st. 

"About  twenty-five  per  cent,  twins.     No  off-colors." 

Mr.  O.  D.  Hill,  Kendalia.  West  \'a..  says: 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  l.oitu  feet,  and  I  have  found  it  to  be 
very  well  adapted  to  the  Angora. 

"My  goats  run  loose,  and  I  seldom  pen  them. 

"In  winter  I  occasionly  feed  some  corn,  but  only  in  bad  weather. 

"I   estimate   cost   of  keeping,   50   cents   per   year   or   less. 

"Have   never   had   any   sickness. 

"I  breed  twice  a  year.  Cannot  say  what  the  regular  increase  will 
be.  but  would  estimate  on  150  per  cent.,  judging  from  the  breeding 
of  my   own   goats. 

"My  kids  are  all  pure  white." 

Mr.  Jas.  A.  Bill.  *  Bill  Hill  P.  O..  Conn.,  says  : 

"I  have  found  our  state  equally  as  well  adapted  to  the  Angora  goat 
as   it  is   to   sheep.. 

"I  only  herd  in  winter,  and  pasture  in  summer. 

"I  only  pen  in  winter. 

"I  have  about  seventy-five  head.  They  are  much  more  capable  of 
defending  themselves  from  dogs  than  sheep  are. 


*Since  the  above  report  was  made,  Mr.  Jas.  A.  Bill  has  died, 
and  his  son,  Mr.  Kansas  N.  Bill,  writes  me  under  date  of  April  16th, 
that  the  industry  is  rapidly  gaining  in  Connecticut,  and  that  he  has 
sold  every  thing  they  had  except  twelve  head  of  does. 


A'ofcs—Pra ctical  B ircdc r. 


431 


"I    feed    in    winter    hay    and    grain,    the    same    as    sheep. 

"The   cost   of   keeping   is   about   the   same. 

"Have   never   known   any   disease. 

"I  practice  dipping  for  lice  and  use  a  carbolic  dip. 

"They  are  in  no  way  objectionable  to  other  kinds  of  stock. 

"I  breed  early  in  May,  and  the  increase  is  about  on  a  par  with  that 
in  sheep. 

"I  have  a  good  many  twins,  but  no  colored  kids. 

"The  percentage  of  loss  is  little  or  nothing,  and  ought  to  be  none 
at  all.'" 

Col.  J.  Wash.  Watts.  Montville,  S.  C.  says: 

"I  commenced  breeding  the  Angora  goat  soon  after  they  were 
imported  into  this  country  in  ISV.K  I  found  them  to  be  well  adapted 
to  this  climate. 

"I   usually  kept  them   in  pastures,   but  would  sometimes  he,rd  them. 

"Our  fencing  was  made  of  rail.     I  think  wire  is  better. 

"I  always  penned  them  at  night,  and  housed  them   in  bad  weather. 

"I   never  kept  over  200  at  one  time. 

"I  learned  that  the  dog  would  not  molest  the  goat  near  as  much  as 
they  do  sheep.     An  old  goat  will  run  after  a  dog. 

"I    always    fed   cotton    seed   in   winter. 

"]\Iy  estimate  of  the  cost  of  keeping  them  was  50  cents  per  head 
per  year. 

"They  have  never  had  any  disease  that  I  know  of,  but  I  heard  of 
some  having  foot   rot.   and  a   few   of  them   mange. 

"I   always   used  tobacco   for  dipping  to   remove   lice. 

"I  sheared  in  April,  and  if  left  later,  they  would  shed. 

Would  breed   in  August  or  September. 

"Eighty  to  ninety  per  cent,  was  considered  an  average  increase. 

"The  pure  bred  has  twins  very  rarely,  and  no  off-colored  kids. 

"Loss  from  death  was  not  more  than  two  per  cent." 

Mr.  Lafayette  Holt.  Bitrling-ton.   X.  C.  savs : 

"I  find  ready  sale  for  my  surplus  stock  at  home,  where  they  are 
slaughtered     for    mutton. 

"The  altitude  of  our  country  is  l.Sno  feet. 

"j\ly  pasture   fence   is  made   from   rails  and   wire. 

"I   do  not  shed  my  goats  except  in  bad  weather. 

"Only    keep    a    small    number. 

"I    usually   feed   in   winter,    hay   , fodder,    etc. 

"Have    been    bothered    some    with    staggers. 

"I    do    not   dip    for    lice. 

"I   breed  in   September. 


43^  ^-i  -VcTC  Industry. 

"An  Angora  buck  will  keep  off  dogs  from  a  flock  of  sheep. 

"I  believe  any  one  who  has  a  sickly  child,  and  will  put  up  with  the 
odor  from  a  buck  goat,  can  make  the  child  well  and  strong,  by  letting  him 
use  him  as  a  plaything,   hauling  a  little  wagon,   etc." 

Dr.  ^I.  Barrett,  ]\Iaidens,  \'a.,  says : 

"I  have  been  raising  the  Angora  for  tlie  past  twenty  years,  and  find 
them  strong,  hearty  and  prolific. 

"Have  never  lost  any  from  disease,  and  I  think  they  are  just  the 
meat  we    ought   to    raise. 

"They  are  but  very  little  trouble  and  no  expense,  as  they  get  their 
own  living  if  let  loose  on  a  farm. 

"They  frequently  kid  twice  in  a  year. 

"I  have  never  made  use  of  their  hair,  except  for  padding,  as  it  is 
a  little  coarse. 

"They  grow  very  large  and  usually  get  their  growth  at  three 
years  old. 

"I  keep  them  chiefly  for  home  consumption,  though  I  sell  occasionly 
at  $2.00  for  mutton.  I  think  they  will  soon  take  the  place  of  sheep  for 
mutton.  My  kids,  at  six  months,  dress  thirty-five  to  forty-five  pounds, 
giving  a  nice  lot  of  tallow,  superior  to  mutton,  as  it  keeps  in  warmest 
weather. 

"The  skins  are  pretty  and  useful  for  making  robes  and  rugs.  I 
value  goats  more  than   sheep. 

'T  have  several  goats  now,  seventeen  years  old,  still  fat  and  hearty." 


1 

§ 

as 

1 

Kev.  D.  S.  Babb,  Sonora. 
R.  S.  Wyatt,  Sonora. 
John  Brown,  Sonora. 
H    W.  Galbraith,  Montell. 
W.  M.  Landrum,  Laguna. 
Jeff  Pepper,  hock  Springs. 
Henry  Fink,  Leon  Springs. 
J.  M.  Arnold.  Montell 
C   Dissler,  Juno 
Jas.  Paiter.son,  Junction  City. 
Doughter  &  Luttrell,  Lipan. 
W.  W   Haupt,  Kyle. 
Geo.  W.  Baylor.  Montell. 
B.  L  Crouch,  Pearsall. 
D.  G.  Avery,  Marathon. 
J.  W.  Garrett,  Mountain  Home. 
R.  H.  Lowry,  Camp  San  Saba. 
H.  B.  Marshall.  Austin. 
J.  D.  Hunter,  Junction  City. 
Tom  S.  Evans.  Exile 
H.  T.  Fuchs,  Tiger  Mill. 
W    R.  MoKee.  Junction  Citv 

Thos.  H.  Tongue,  Hillsboro. 
Geo.  A.  Houck,  Eugene. 
Scott  Obve,  N.  Yamhill 
D.  A.  Walker,  (larlton. 

0.  Dowell,  Florence. 

A.  Blackburn,  N   Yamhill. 
J.  M.  Hassler   Larwood. 
J  H.  Hawley,  Monmouth. 
Frank  H  Rogers.  Gardiner. 
Oscar  Tom,  Angora. 
Mr.  Masters,  Cleveland. 
Jas  McDonald,  Morrison. 
N.  Woodward,  Dallas. 
W.  D.  Claggett,  Salem. 
A.  R.  Tate,  Winuersett. 
J.  R.  Standley,  Platteville. 
Morgan  &  Morgan,  Clay. 

1.  J.  Booth,  Cresco. 

J.  C.  Morton,  Indianola. 
A.  H.  Edwards,  Audubon. 
S.  S.  McKibben,  Earlham. 

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.     E.  L.  Maze,  Upper  Lake. 
.    J.  M.  Wimmer.  Millville. 
.    F.  C.  Smith,  Skaggs  Springs. 

<i.  P.  Bailev,  San  Jose. 
.     X  Y  Z,  Onb. 
.     Wm.  Richter.lco. 
.     Jas.  H.  Dunison,  Upper  Lake. 
.    Philo  Ogden,  Upper  Lake. 

Jacob  daks,  Paskenta 
.     E.  R.  Williams,  Redding. 
.    R.  J.  Linton,  Ager. 
.     A.  Moon,  Ono. 
.    Jas.  Wilder,  Paskenta. 

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.     J.  R.  Barnette,  Globe. 
.     J.  F.  Holder,  Layson. 
.     Ira  Harper,  Clifton. 
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Jf36  A  Xczc  Industry. 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  F.  Garst,  who  was.  for  many 
years,  a  prominent  l)reeder  of  Angora  goats  in  New  Mexico, 
will  be  of  interest : 

"Cold  Water,  Kansas,  May  l-Jth,  1900. 
"Mr.   Win.    L.    Black.    Fort    McKavett.    Texas: 

"Dear  vSir: — I  have  yours  in  regard  to  goats.  I  have  been  away 
for  some  time  this  spring,  and  this  is  the  first  chance  I  have  had  to  write. 
I  will  not  undertake  to  answer  your  questions,  but  will  make  you  a 
simple  statement  of  what  I  did  with  a  bunch  of  oOO  goats  in  twelve 
years. 

"In  188'J,  I  bought  ")U0  head  of  nannie  goats  of  C.  P.  Bailey,  of  San 
Jose,  Cal.,  and  they  were  from  seven-eights  to  thirty-one-thirty-seconds 
grade.  I  bought  in  February,  and  moved  them  to  New  Mexico  in  the 
fall.  I  took  them  to  the  Sacramento  jMountains.  in  Lincoln  County 
(now   Otero   County). 

"After  running  them  twelve  years,  I  had  sold  over  $20,000.00  worth 
of  stufi'  from  them  (amongst  the  sales  were  1,800  head  of  goats),  and 
at  the  end  of  twelve  years,  I  had  6,000  head  of  goats  left.  I  paid  Bailey 
$6.00  a  head  for  the  goats,  and  after  running  them  a  year,  I  had  700 
head,  and  they  stood  me  at  about  $9.00  per  head.  I  was  under  very 
great  expense  in  moving  and  getting  located.  My  thoroughbreds,  both 
bucks  and  nannies,  cost  $100.00  per  head;  I  don't  recollect  just  how 
many  I  bought. 

"Goats  will  not  jump  over  a  fence,  if  they  can  jump  on  top  of  it,  then 
they  will  go  over.  They  are  the  best  grubbers  I  know  of,  as  they  furnish 
themselves  and  an  income  besides. 

"My  goats  were  a  secondary  consideration  with  me,  as  I  was  run- 
ning a  cattle  ranch  on  the  same  range  with  them,  and  would  at  times  have 
to  be  away  from  home,  so  could  not  give  them  the  attention  I  would  have 
liked   to. 

"Maxwell,  of  "Maxwell  Land-Grant  Farm,"  I  think,  took  the  first 
Angora  goats  into  New  Mexico,  as  far  as  I  know.  This  must  have 
been  at  least  ten  years  or  more  before  I  went  there.  There  must  have 
been  about  seventy  head  of  them.     Don't  know  what  became  of  them. 

"A  man  by  the  name  of  Casas  brought  a  good  bunch  from  near 
San  Jose,  Cal.,  and  located  them  on  the  Rio  Grande,  below  Las  Cruces. 
These  came  several  years  before  mine.  He  did  not  do  much  good  with 
them,  and  finally  died,  and  Col.  Rymerson,  of  Las  Cruces,  got  them, 
and  moved  them  to  the  Organ  Mountains,  where  they  did  better.  Since 
Rymerson's  death,  I  don't  know  what  became  of  them. 

"I  can't  tell  you  anything  about  goats  in  this  S.ate  (Kansas),  as  I 
never  have  looked  it  up.  My  experience  has  been  principally  in  New 
Mexico.  "Yours. 

"FRANK    GARST" 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  4^j 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  W.  G.  Hughes,  of  Hastings, 
Texas,  who  has  been  a  very  successful  breeder  of  Angoras  for 
a  number  of  years,  will  be  instructive : 

"Hastings,  Kendall  Co.,  Texas,  July  15,  1899. 
"Col.  Wm.  L.  Black. 

"Dear  Sir — In  answer  to  your  request  for  some  notes  on  my  system 
of  handling  Angora  goats,  I  would  like  as  a  preface  to  draw  attention  to 
the  fact,  that  results,  and  the  methods  by  which  individuals  arrive  at  them, 
are  valuable  only  as  abstract  guides  to  others  who  intend  to  follow  the 
same  line  of  business;  and,  their  problem  if  they  are  to  profit  by  such 
experiences,  is,  to  apply  the  ideas  which  they  thus  derive  to  their  own 
conditions  and  surroundings. 

To  begin  with:  I  bed  my  goats  as  much  as  posible  on  a  hill-side, 
having  such  a  slope  that  a  good  hard  rain  eflfectually  washes  away  the 
manure.  I  believe  that  this  keeps  the  lice  from  bothering  them  to  any 
noticeable  extent,  as  lice  seem  to  increase  on  them  when  they  are  corralled 
every  night  in  dirty  pens.  I  think  that  gcats  should  have  access  to  water 
at  least  once  a  day  and  that  they  should  have  salt  where  they  can  get  it; 
rock  salt  at  the  bedding  ground  is  a  convenient  form  in  which  to  furnish 
it. 

"In  the  fall  I  put  the  billies  with  the  nannies  on  October  15th,  using 
two  or  three  billies  to  one  liundred  nannies.  I  do  not  consider  it  neces- 
sary or  judicious  to  leave  them  in  more  than  five  weeks,  as  this  is  suf- 
ficient to  practically  serve  the  whole  flock,  the  first  kids  coming  about 
March  13th  and  the  last  about  April  l&th.  Any  scattering  ones  that 
would  come  after  them  by  continuing  breeding,  are  usually  more  trouble 
than  they  are  worth,  as  by  stopping  on  April  18th,  the  whole  nanny  flocH 
is  ready  to  move  to  a  different  range  about  the  middle  of  May,  without 
any  impediment  of  kids  that  are  too  young  to  go  all  day  with  the  others, 
and  moving  to  a  new  range  is  of  great  assistance  to  the  goats,  as  during 
kidding  they  have  necessarily  been  herded  somewhat  closely  around  the 
kidding   camp. 

"At  the  home  pens  I  have  a  shed  in  the  shape  of  a  right  angle  with  the 
point  to  the  north;  the  shed  is  300  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  deep,  and  has 
a  hay  rack  along  the  back,  inside.  It  is  very  useful  during  a  bad  spell 
of  weather. 

"I  leave  the  flock  at  one  of  the  camps  all  winter,  only  returning  for 
bad  weather  and  for  handling  them  during  shearing  in  spring  and  fall, 
and  for  kidding  in  the  spring. 

"In  this  latitude  it  is  safe  to  commence  shearing  the  first  suitable 
day  after  March  1st  provided  you  have  shelter  for  the  goats  in  case  o! 
cold,  wet  weather,  soon  after  shearing.  I  generally  begin  the  first  Mon- 
day after  March  1st  and  figure  on  getting  through  during  the  week  and 


Jf.S8  A  Nczi'  Industry. 

before  12th  or  14th, by  which  time  the  first  kids  may  be  expected;  and  from 
the  commencement  of  the  spring  shearing  until  the  flock  moves  to  a 
new  range  about  May  ir)th.  it  is  kept  at  the  home  pens  where  the  shed  is. 
A  good  many  kids  are  born  during  the  night,  but  most  are  born  between 
about  11  a.  m.  and  J  p.  m.,  and  I  find  that  by  getting  the  flock  out  in 
good  time  in  the  morning  and  having  it  return  to  the  pen  about  11  o'clock 
or  soon  after,  that  the  bulk  of  the  kids  will  be  born  after  the  tiock  re- 
turns at  that  time,  and  before  it  goes  out  again  at  "2  p.  m.  1  think  this 
is  because  getting  a  belly  full  of  food  during  the  morning  hastens  the 
process  of  kidding.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  having  the  kids  born  in 
the  pen  is  much  more  convenient  than  having  to  'pack'  them  back  from 
the  range  and  except,  for  a  few  days,  when  the  busiest  part  of  the  kidding 
is  in  progress,  there  will  not  be  born  during  the  few  hours  of  the  after- 
noon feeding,  more  than  the  herder  with  an  extra  hand  can  conveniently 
bring  back  to  the  pen.  I  do  not  stake  out  my  kids,  as  I  think  it  tends 
to  stunt  their  growth  and  it  is  liable  to  result  in  loss  of  many  kids  dur- 
ing the  bad  weather. 

"The  great  secret  in  raising  kids  is  to  give  the  nanny  sufficient  oppor- 
tunity to  thoroughly  know  her  own  kid,  without  being  confused  and 
rattled  by  other  kids  until  she  gets  'mixed  up'  on  the  question  of  identity. 
To  do  this  it  is  necessary  to  let  her  be  undisturbed  with  her  own  kid  for 
twenty-four  hours  before  leaving  it,  either  in  a  separate  small  pen,  or 
a  large  pen  with  others  in  her  condition,  where  there  is  a  minimum  of 
disturbing  influences;  while  thus  kept  in,  she  should  have  access  to 
water  and  a  little  hay.  After  she  knows  her  kid  pretty  well,  she  can  go 
out  with  the  flock,  but  on  return  should  be  put  in  a  pen  with  not  over 
twenty-five  other  nannies  and  their  kids  until  the  kids  are  a  week  or  ten 
days  old,  when,  except  in  exceptional  cases,  she  will  know  her  own  kid 
among  one  hundred  or  so. 

"I  divide  them  up  every  evening  by  tunning  all  the  nannies  that  have 
kids  through  a  narrow  chute  with  four  cut  gates  at  the  middle  of  the 
chute,  two  on  each  side.  Each  gate  leads  into  a  separate  pen.  and  the 
chute  terminates  in  a  large  pen. 

"I  know  the  pen  into  which  to  cut  the  goats,  as  these  have  a  dif- 
ferent color  for  each  pen  painted  on  the  base  of  the  horns.  When  a 
pen  is  filled  up  and  six  to  ten  days  old,  it  is  turned  into  the  large  pen  at 
the  end  of  the  chute,  the  nannies  marked  on  the  nose  to  designate  the 
change,  and  new  arrivals  begin  to  fill  up  the  small  pen  that  is  thus  clear- 
ed. During  the  summer  there  is  but  little  to  watch  for  except  wolves, 
and  worms  in  sores,  until  the  fall  shearing,  which  should  be  done  early 
enough  to  allow  the  hair  on  the  goats  to  grow  again  sufficiently  to  serve 
as  a  protection  by  the  time  cold  weather  may  be  expected. 

"I  generally  shear  late  in  September,  as  if  shorn  earlier  there  is  more 
danger  from  worms  in  shear  cuts,  and  if  shorn  later,  it  tends  to  disturb 


Notes — Practical  Breeders.  j?p 

the  general  equality  of  the  length  ot  staple  in  the  clips,  which  should  be 
as  long  as  possible  to  obtain  best  results,  but  I  do  not  consirjer  it  advis- 
able to  add  to  the  length  of  one  clip  by  taking  it  from  another  unless  for 
some  other  reason.  Shearing  towards  the  end  of  September  gets  it  well 
out  of  the  way  and  enables  one  to  have  pretty  close  track  of  such  doctor- 
ing as  is  necessitated  by  shear  cuts,  before  October  15.  when  the  billies 
are  put  in,  and  whicJi  was  the  season  with  which  these  suggestions 
commenced. 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  J.  C.  P.  McLendon,  of  Texas 
whose  experience  in  breeding  the  Angora  goat  was  of  such  an 
interesting  natnre,  I  am  sure  it  will  be  read  by  many  of  the  pres- 
ent breeders  with  a  great  deal  of  profit : 

"Dripping  Springs,   Hays  Co.,  Texas.   Sept.  -21.   1899. 
"Mr.    Wm.    L.    Black,    Ft.    McKavett,   Texas. 

"Dear  Sir — I  am  in  receipt  of  your  circular  letter,  also  of  one  handed 
to  me  by  A.  L.  Davis,  Jr.,  of  this  place.  I  am  not  now  in  the  Angora 
goat  business.  In  187(5,  I  came  in  possession  of  fifty  head  of  Mexican 
ewes.  I  culled  out  twenty-four  head  of  young,  white,  short-haired,  ewes, 
and  one  large,  long-haired,  white  one.  I  then  sent  to  Col.  Peters  of  Geor- 
gia, for  a  pair  of  pure  Angora  kids,  buck  and  ewe.  Bred  the  buck,  by 
line,  to  these,  using  a  system  of  ear-marks  to  distinguish  the  different 
grades.  Later,  I  sent  to  Col.  Scott  of  Kentucky,  for  one  buck  and  four 
ewes.  Gave  Peters  $50  per  head  and  Scott  $40  per  head.  The  buck 
and  one  ewe  from  Scott  were  the  best  and  only  pure,  perhaps,  of  the  seven 
head  I  bought.  I  make  this  statement  from  looks,  and  the  test  of  breed- 
ing. I  do  not  intend  censure  to  either  Peters  or  Scott.  They  were  both 
honest  and  conscientious  breeders.  I  found  it  impossible  to  breed  out 
entirely  the  long,  coarse  hair  in  the  progeny  of  the  long-haired  ewe 
above  referred  to.  I  sold  all  of  these,  with  cullings  of  lower  grades, 
culling  and  selling  every  year. 

"The  largest  clip  from  a  single  pure  buck  obtained  was  eight  and  a 
half  pounds;  from  a  single  ewe  five  and  a  half  pounds;  from  grades  eight 
pounds;  from  wethers  four  pounds;  from  ewes  down  to  two  and  four 
pounds.  Three-quarter  grades  would  frequently  shear  two  pounds  for 
ewes,  four  pounds  for  wethers  from  one  to  three  years  old.  After  three 
years  for  breeding  ewes  and  four  for  wethers  and  bucks,  the  clips  would 
begin  to  decrease  in  weight. 

"The  highest  grades  I  reached  was  the  eighth  cross,  i'55-25(J.  After 
the  fourth  cross,  the  grades,  in  appearance  compared  favorably  in  length 
and  weight  of  fleece  with  the  pure-bred.  The  mohair  on  the  grades, 
even  on  half-breeds  from  smooth  short-haired  ewes,  except  in  length, 
was  equal  in  lustre  and  fineness,  to  the  pure. 


JfU)  A  New  Industry. 

"Most  of  the  grades  from  the  Peters  buck  shed  their  mohair,  bu 
from  the  Scott  buck  retained  it  after  shearing,  growing  on  like  the  woo' 
on  sheep.  I  had  no  disease  among  my  goats  except  occasionally  a  case 
of  lung  worms.  Was  troubled  a  good  deal  with  goat  lice.  I  believe  dip- 
ping should  be  practiced  after  shearing,  and  a  change  of  range  and  bed- 
ding ground  every  eight  or  ten  weeks.  I  tried  shearing  one  a  year,  and, 
then  twice,  in  October  and  November,  according  to  weather,  and  again  in 
spring.  The  two  shearings  gave  better  results.  Used  good  shelter  in 
wet  weather;  fed  hay,  straw,  and  some  cotton  seed  when  needed.  No 
stock  can  compare  with  the  goat  to  clean  up  brushy  and  weedy  land. 
They  eat  very  little  grass  if  they  can  get  weeds  and  brush.  If  not  over- 
stocked, they  make  the  range  better  for  cattle,  horses  and  sheep. 

"I  occasionally  had  a  slight  tinge  of  red  from  my  crosses  from  the 
Peters  buck,  in  both  graded  and  pure  nannies.  From  my  observation 
in  breeding  I  believe  we  have  the  foundation  for  improvement  equal  to 
anything  we  are  likely  to  import,  unless  it  be  from  the  Cape  and  I  would 
advise  all  breeders  to  test  any  importations  before  breeding  to  a  selected 
flock  that  had  been  brought  up  to  high  standard  by  careful  breeding. 
Angoras,  with  me,  would  breed  only  once  a  year,  like  deer,  and  seldom 
brought  but  one  kid.  To  improve  a  flock,  one  kid  is  enough.  I  sold 
my  goats  six  years  ago.  Cause — wolves  and  my  inability  to  get  careful 
and  trustworthy  herders. 

"I  have  no  records  by  me,  but  above  gives  you  practically  my  ex- 
perience in  goat  raising.     Will  add  that  to  my  taste,  no  better  meat  wa.s 
ever  placed  on  table  than  a  roast  from  a  fat  two  or  three  year-old  Angora 
wether.     I   do   not  like  the  meat  of  the  common   goat. 
Respectfully, 

"I.    C.    P.    M'LENDON.'" 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

IS  IT  ADVISABLE  TO  START  A  REGISTER  FOR  ANGORA  GOATS? 

This  (luestion  is  by  no  means  a  new  one.  It  has  been 
asked  over  and  over  again,  and  was  seriously  agitated  upwards 
of  twenty  years  ago.  Whenever  it  has  been  brought  up,  the 
question  has  always  been  advanced :  "What  have  we  got  to 
register?"  and  after  some  discussion  about  the  merits  of  certain 
flocks  of  goats,  the  matter  would  be  dropped.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  about  our  having  many  Angora  goats  in  every  way 
worthy  of  being  registered,  but  hardly  any  two  breeders  have 
exactly  the  same  type  of  animal,  and  this  seems  to  have  been 
the  difficulty  in  the  past.  Each  breeder  appears  to  have  had 
his  own  idea,  as  to  a  perfect  Angora,  and  the  result  has  been 
that  no  agreement  could  ever  be  reached  as  to  what  points 
should  be  used  for  a  standard. 

In  Turkey  they  know  very  little,  and  care  much  less,  for 
such  a  system  ;  and,  the  breeders  in  South  Africa,  seem  to  have 
had  very  much  the  same  trouble  as  we  have  had. 

We  have  some  flocks  that  were  started  from  the  original 
"Davis,"  or  "Peters,"  stock,  which  have  become  individualized 
as  the  "Scott,"  the  "Haupt."  the  "Landrum,"  and  the  "Divine" 
goats. 

Then  we  have  the  "Parish"  goats  which  originated  from 
pure  blooded  stock  from  a  direct  importation  from  Turkey ; 
and,  later,  we  have  the  "Harris"  goats,  which  were  started 
from  an  importation  made  by  Mr.  Harris  himself,  selected  by 
him  in  person,  who  has  kept  them  scrupulously  free  from  any 
foreign  mixture   ever  since  they  landed  in   this   country-. 

The  Conklin  Bros.,  of  California,  claim  to  have  started 
;i  flock  from  pure-bred  goats,  imported  by  Mr.  Eutichedes  in 


U2  A  XciK.'  Industry. 

1870 ;  and,  there  are  doubtless  other  breeders  who  have  pure- 
bred goats  that  they  can  trace  to  one,  or  other,  of  the  importa- 
tions that  have  been  made  into  the  United  States. 

There  is  no  reason  why  a  register  should  not  be  established 
for  such  animals  as  I  have  referred  ,to  but  it  would  seem  to  be 
a  difficult  matter  to  embrace  all  of  them  under  one  common 
register  unless  they  all  have  the  same  characteristices,  which  is 
doubtful. 

\A>  can  probably  learn  much  upon  this  subject  from  our 
neighbors  in  the  sheep  industr}-,  who  have  passed  through, 
practically,  the  same  experience  that  we  are  just  entering. 

The  sheep  industry  was  started  about  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century  (180.S)  by  Mr.  Humphreys,  our,  then,  Minister 
to  Spain,  who  brought  home  with  him  some  two  hundred  head 
of  Spanish  Merinos,  resulting  in  the  establishment  of  the  world- 
famous  breed  of  "American  Merinos ;"  and,  from  which,  a 
number  of  sub-breeds  have  sprung,  such  as  the  "Dickinson" 
Merino,  started  by  ]V[r.  Wm.  R.  Dickinson,  of  Stubenville,  O. ; 
the  "Black  Top"  Spanish  Merino,  started  by  Mr.  Wm.  Berry, 
of  Washington,  Pa. ;  and  the  "Improved  Black  Top"  Merino. 
a.11  of  which  dififer  in  some  particular  points,  yet,  date  their  origin 
from  the  original  "Humphrey"  sheep. 

Mr.  Wm.  Jarvis,  of  A'ermont,  imported  a  lot  into  his 
State,  from  which  the  celebrated  "A'ermont"  Merino  originated; 
together  with  several  other  well  known  breeds  such  as  the 
"Standard  Delaine,"  the  "National  Delaine,"  the  "Improved 
Delaine,"  and  many  others  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  mention. 

The  sheep  referred  to  differ  very  slightly  from  one  another, 
yet  the  breeders  of  each  are  jealous  of  the  peculiar  points  the\ 
possess,  and  maintain  a  distinct  and  separate  association  to  make 
proper  rules  and  regulations  to  govern  any  matters  of  difference 
that  may  arise  from  time  to  time,  together  with  a  register 
through  which  every  member  of  the  association  can  record 
his   individual    sheep.  ' 

The  "Davis, "or"PVters  ;"  the  "Chenery,"  "Diehl  &  Brown," 
"Eutichedes,"  and  "Harris"  importations  of  Angora  goats  oc- 
cupy the  same   relative  position  in  the   goat   industry,   as   the 


Register    for   Angora    Goats.  JfJfS 

"Humphrey"  and  the  "Jarvis"  importations  do  to  sheep;  and 
the  "Scott,"  "Haupt,"  Landrum"  and  "Parish"  goats  the  same 
as  the  "Dickson"  Merino,  the  "Black  Top"  Merino,  and  other 
individual  breeds  of  sheep  that  have  sprang  out  of  one  or  other 
of  the  original  importations. 

The  "Hornless"  type,  mentioned  by  Mr.  S.  S.  McKibben, 
of  Earlham,  Iowa,  is  very  much  on  a  par  with  the  "Dickinson" 
Merino,  which  is  a  hornless  breed  of  sheep,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
the  breeders  of  this  type  of  goats  will  begin  at  once  and  estab- 
lish an  association  of  "Hornless,"  or  "Polled  Angora  Goats," 
through  which  they  may  be  able  to  record  their  increase. 

The  breeders  of  the  "Non-Shedding"  variety  referred  to 
by  Mr.  J.  C.  P.  McLendon?  of  Texas,  certainly  ought  to  try  and 
preserve  it  through  a  special  register,  as  well  as  any  other  val- 
uable types  of  Angora  goats  which  may  originate  in  the 
future. 

Many  breeders  believe  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  new  im- 
portation from  Asia  Minor  before  we  can  begin  an  American 
register,  because  such  a  long  time  has  elapsed  since  any  of  our 
importations  were  made.  I'his  would  seem  to  be  wholly  mi- 
necessary,  although  I  would  be  glad  to  see  another  importa- 
tion made,  provided  we  can  improve  on  what  we  already  have. 
But  if  we  are  to  be  governed  by  the  written  testimony  of  a  num- 
ber of  reliable  Turkish  authorities,  we  would  not  be  able  to 
find  any  purer-bred  stock  in  Asia  Minor — if  indeed  as  pure — as 
we  now  have  in  our  own  country. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  very  essence  of  a  register 
of  live  stock  is  to  enable  a  purchaser  to  trace  the  lineage  of  an 
animal  through  flocks  of  reliable  breeders,  to  the  original 
importation ;  and  this  would  be  difficult,  if  not  mpossible,  to 
do  with  most  of  our  present  stock  of  goats.  Are  we  then  to  be 
forever  barred  from  establishing  a  register  for  the  fine  goats 
we  now  have,  simply  because  the  breeders  have  been  careless 
about  starting  a  register? 

The  principle  is,  without  doubt,  a  correct  one,  provided  the 
foreign  stock  has  maintained  a  condition  of  purity ;  but.  in  the 
present  case,  it  seems  to  me  it  would  be  more  in  keeping  with 


^4^  A  iVrTC  Industry. 

common  sense  if  the  Turks  were  to  start  a  register  leased  u[)or! 
American  goats,  than  for  tlie  Americans  to  begin  a  register 
from  goats  imported  from  Asia  ]\linor. 

And,  with  reference  to  South  Atrica,  Mr.  Schreiner  says  : 

"It  is  perhaps,  impossible  to  say  exactlj'  how  many  Angora  goats 
have  been  imported,  I)ut  it  is  safe  to  say.  in  all.  they  number  over  3000. 
They  have  come  from  numerous  districts  in  Asia  Minor,  and  are  represen- 
tative of  the  general  run  of  Turkish  goats.  There  has  been  no  uniformity 
among  the  goats  imported;  they  can  not  be  said  to  be  representative 
of  any  definite  type,  or  types.  Each  animal  stands  solely  on  its  own  in- 
dividual merits,  and  not  as  the  representative  of  any  type.  In  the  future 
there  may  be  certain  fixed  varieties  among  Angora  goats,  as  there  are  to- 
day among  Merino  sheep,  but,  at  present,  no  such  varieties  exist.  Some 
very  superior  animals  have  been  imported:  but,  Mr.  Binns  says,  the  very 
best  have  never  left  Turkey.  A  great  many  mongrels  have  also  been  im- 
ported, and  Angoras  are,  today,  as  mixed  at  the  Cape  (except  the  best 
stud  flocks)  as  they  are  in  Turkey.  However,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  many  thoroughly  bad  animals  have  been  imported,  so  inferior  as 
certainly  to  injure  rather  than  improve  even  the  average  .Cape  flocks; 
yet,  owing  to  the  suitability  of  the  Cape  climate  and  pasture  to  the  Angora 
goat,  and  particularly  to  the  superior  intelligence  of  the  Cape  breeders 
and  their  adoption  of  more  modern,  and  scientific,  methods  of  breeding, 
the  quality  of  the  best  stud  flocks  has  been  raised  to  so  high  a  standard 
of  excellence  that  Turkey  would  probably  profit  by  obtaining  new  blood 
from  the  Cape,  for  use  in  its  very  best  flocks.  On  the  other  hand,  con- 
sidering the  inferior  type  of  farmers  engaged  in  the  industry  in  Turkey 
and  the  primitive  and  unscientific  methods  of  breedng  in  vogue  there, 
further  importations  to  the  Cape  seem  wholly  inadvisable,  unless  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Angora  Goat  Breeders'  Association,  and  unless  two 
of  the  very  best  judges  in  the  Colony,  go  to  Turkey  to  select  the  goats. 
Failing  this,  the  Cape  industry  will  best  ad^-ance  without  assistance  froin 
Turkey.  It  but  remains  for  the  Cape  farmer  to  have  a  clear  conception 
of  what  kind  of  fleece  he  desires  his  goats  to  produce,  and  then  to  work 
unswervingly  towards  the  realization  of  that  conception.  The  breed 
here  is  in  a  most  plastic  state  yet,  but  the  leading  breeders  are  gradually 
and  suiely,  fixing  it,  and,  what  is  more  hopeful,  gradually,  bringing  their 
goats  towards  uniformity  to  one  type."     (See  Schreiner,  p.  ■21<i-"-!lf<. ) 

It  is  to  l)e  hoped  there  will  l)e  found  some  way  out  of  the 
difficulty,  for  it  would  certainly  be  very  proper  to  have  registers 
for  all  goats  that  have  valuable  characteristics,  and  have  been 
bred  to  points  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  thoroughly  fix 
the  same. 


Register   for   Angora   Goafs.  44^ 

Bearing  upon  the  question  of  importing  goats  from 
Turkey,  the  following  letter  from  the  Hon.  H.  S.  Jewett,  United 
States  Consul  at  Siras,  Turkey,  to  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Tongue, 
member  of  Congress  from  Oregon,  who  is  personally  interested 
in  Angora  goats,  and  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  industry, 
will  be  interesting. 

The  letter  is  taken  from  the  "Texas  Stockman  and  Farmer,'' 
of  San  Antonio,  Texas  and  reads  as  follows : 

ANGORA  GOATS. 

"H.  S.  Jewett,  United  States  Consul  at  Siras,  Turkey,  in  a  recent  let- 
ter to  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Tongue,  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Washington,  D.  C,  anent  the  Angora  goat  industry,  says:  'In  further 
answer  to  your  inquiries  in  regard  to  Angora  goats  for  importation  to 
the  United  States,  I  send  you  the  following  information  obtained  from 
the  British  Consul  at  Angora:  The  average  price  of  a  picked  Angora  he- 
goat  of  the  best  class  is  $17.66,  and  for  a  she-goat  of  the  same  character 
$6.G0.  The  best  age  for  a  he-goat  is  from  two  and  one-half  to  three  and 
one-half  years  old,  and  the  expression  'picked  goat'  means  a  goat  ex- 
clusively chosen  from  that  age.  The  average  price  of  the  best  class  of  he- 
goats  without  selection  form  age  is  about  $15.40.  In  some  cases,  of 
course,  a  particularly  fine  he-goat  might  go  as  far  r.s  $22  or  $26.40,  or  the 
proprietor  might  refuse  to  sell  him  at  any  price. 

"The  average  annual  yield  of  the  best  picked  he-goat  is  nine  and  one- 
half  pounds,  and  of  the  same  class  of  she-goats  five  and  one-half  pounds. 
The  average  yield  of  he-goats  of  the  second  class  is  about  five  and  one- 
half  pounds  and  of  the  third  class  about  four  pounds.  The  best  class 
of  mohair  is  not  to  be  found  at  Angora  itself,  but  at  Ghereda  and  Kibris 
in  the  district  of  Boli,  province  of  Castamou  li,  and  it  is  in  that  district 
that  the  most  recent  purchases  for  export  have  been  made.  The  prices 
above  quoted  are  for  the  goat  as  purchased  on  the  spot  and  do  not  in- 
clude commission,  export  and  transportation  charges.  A  certificate  of 
health  is  necessary  or  desirable  for  each  goat  before  it  is  purchased.  It 
would  be  entirely  useless  to  purchase  Angora  goats  from  this  country 
unless  an  imperial  permit  for  exportation  had  been  previously  obtained 
at  Constantinople.  I  think  that  perhaps  such  a  permit  could  be  obtained 
more  easily  and  with  less  expense  by  some  private  native  person  than  by 
our  minister  or  general  Consul.  The  government  might  not  wish  to  give 
a  permit  to  an  official  representative.  In  any  case  to  obtain  a  permit 
requires  time  and  money.  It  is  said  to  be  a  long  and  costly  process. 
It  is  said  that  the  Angora  goat  when  transplanted  requires  a  periodical 
infusion  of  new  blood  from  the  old  stock  to  prevent  degeneration.  A 
work  entitled,  'The  Angora  Goat,'  would  no  doubt  give  valuable  informa- 


44^>  -  A  Nczi'  Industry. 

tion  on  this  and  other  questions  concerning  this  animal.  Goats  are  sent 
from  this  country  to  South  Africa.  George  Kypelogion,  a  merchant 
of  respectable  standing  of  Angora  has  acted  as  agent  on  behalf  of  George 
Gatheral.  an  Englishman,  in  the  purchase  of  goats  for  export  to  South 
Africa." 

It  might  be  well,  perhaps,  for  Ijreeders  in  a  certain  district 
or  county  where  really  fine  Angoras  are  being  bred,  to  get 
t6gether  and  organize  an  association  for  the  purpose  of  reg- 
istering a  standard-bred  Angora,  the  points  of  which  to  be 
agreed  on  by  those  interested. 

But  it  would  seem  to  me  hardly  possible  to  ever  expect  to 
combine  all  of  our  fine  goats  in  a  State,  or  in  the  United  States, 
under  a  single  State  or  National  register. 

Since  the  foregoing  chapter  was  written,  a  meeting 
■of  Angora  goat  breeders  was  held  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  which 
resulted  in  starting  the  "American  Angora  Goat  Breeders'  As- 
sociation," of  which 

Air.  T.  H.  Mastin,  of  Kansas  City,  was  elected  Presiaent, 

INIr.  R.  C.  Johnston,  of  Lawrence,  Kan.,  Vice-President, 

Mr.  T.  J.  Eamen,  Treasurer,  and 

Mr.  W.  T.  Mclntire,  Secretary ;  together  with  the  following 
Board  of  Directors : 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley,  of  Platteville,  Iowa. 
Benj.  F.  Elbert,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
L.  A.  Allen,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
T.  H.  Mastin,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
W.  H.  Woodlief,  of  Woodlief,  Kan. 
Robt.  C.  Johnston,  of  Lawrence,  Kan. 
Wm.  L.  Black,  of  Fort  McKavett,  Texas. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Standley  was  elected  Inspector  and  it  is  the 
intention  of  the  Association  to  inspect  such  flocks  of  goats  as 
claim  to  be  "thoroughbred,"  whenever  the  owners  of  the  same 
express  a  desire  to  have  their  goats  registered,  when  a  certifi- 
c?ite  will  be  given  to  them  for  such  as  come  within  the  standard 
agreed  upon. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  Association  to  deal  with  any 
peculiar  "points"  beyond  a  well-formed  animal,  having  a  fleece 


Register    for    Angora    Goafs.  447 

of  pvire  mohair  evenly  distributed  over  the  body,  particularly 
on  the  chest  and  belly. 

Such  points  as  shape  of  horns,  character  of  fleece  (whether 
wavy  or  in  ringlets),  length  of  staple,  weight  of  carcass,  etc.> 
etc.,  are  considered  to  be  of  minor  importance  and  can  only  be 
controlled  by  a  special  association,  which  is  recognized  as 
being  the  only  practical  way  to  register  "fancy  points."  But 
purity  of  blood  is  considered  paramount  to  all  others,  and  as 
being  to  the  best  interests  of  all,  that  these  should  be  registered, 
in  order  to  protect  every  one  interested  in  this  new  industry 
from  the  unscrupulous  breeder,  who  will  represent  his  stock 
as  being  pure,  when  he  has  no  right  to  do  so. 

In  addition  to  this  the  Association,  which  is  practically 
national  in  character,  contemplates  the  general  advancement 
of  the  industry  throughout  the  United  States  by  the  collection 
of  information,  awarding  of  premiums  for  excellence  of  breed- 
ing, ect.,  etc. 

The  register  is  to  be  known  as  the  "American  Angora 
Goat  Record,"  and  is  to  be  published  annually,  in  book  form, 
for  free  distribution. 

The  revenue  derived  from  fees  for  registration  is  to  be  used 
for  the  general  good  of  the  industry.  The  actual  expenses  of 
the  Inspector,  and  Secretary,  for  labor  performed,  and  for  print- 
ing and  stationery,  etc.,  being  the  only  expense  that  is  to 
be  paid  out  of  the  general  fund,  and  the  surplus  to  be  disposed 
of  as  the  directors  may  deem  proper. 

A  "Combination  Sale"  is  to  be  held  in  October  of  each  year 
at  Kansas  City,  which  —ill  enable  breeders  to  select  breeding 
sires  for  themselves,  an>.i  dispose  of  such  stock  as  they  may 
have  no  fvirther  use  for. 

Only  breeders  of  good  reputation  and  standing  can  become 
members  of  the  Association. 

The  officers  are  to  consist  of  a  President,  Vice-President, 
Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Inspector,  who  are  to  be  elected 
annually. 

The  affairs  of  the  i\ssociation  are  to  be  governed  by  a 
Board  of  Directors,  not  to  exceed  thirteen,  who  are  to  be 
selected   from    among   members   annually. 


J^Ji-S  A  Nczv  Industry. 

There  is  no  doubt  such  an  Association  will  be  of  incalcul- 
able benefit,  and  it  is  hoped  that  all  the  breeders  will  become 
members  of  it.  Most  of  the  present  officers  are  comparatively 
new  in  the  industry,  but  are  men  of  high  standing.  Mr.  Mastin 
is  a  capitalist  and  a  large  land  owner,  who  has  learned  of  the 
great  value  of  the  Angora  goat,  and  is  the  owner  of  quite  a 
number  of  them  at  this  time. 

yir.  R.  C.  Johnston  is  proprietor  of  the  electric  light 
and  gas  plant  in  Lawrence,  Kan.,  and  is  also  a  new  beginner, 

Mr.  T.  J.  Eamen,  the  treasurer,  and  Mr.  W.  T.  Mclntire. 
the  Secretary,  are  both  members  of  the  well  known  Kansas  City 
Live  Stock  Commission  Co.,  of  which  Mr.  L.  A.  Allen,  one  of 
the   directors,    is    Vice-President. 

Mr.  Benj.  F.  Elbert,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  is  a  retired 
banker  and  a  large  land  owner. 

These  gentlemen  have  no  object  in  view,  beyond  the  devel- 
opment of  an  industry  which  they  believe  possesses  great  merit, 
and  are  prepared  to  withdraw  from  the  management  of  the 
Association  whenever  the  members  see  proper  to  elect  their 
successors.  Upon  one  of  my  recent  visits  to  Kansas  Cityi 
several  of  them  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting,  expressed 
the  hope  that  the  next  meeting  would  be  attended  by  a  large 
number  of  representative  breeders  throughout  the  United  States, 
and  that  many  of  them  would  bring  their  best  stock  to  the 
"combination  sale,"  which  is  their  intention  to  have  immed- 
iately after  the  meeting. 

It  is  expected  that  the  "combination  sale"  will  result  in 
great  benefit,  as  well  as  profit,  to  many  of  the  breeders  who 
attend  them.  Oftentimes  a  breeder  may  want  to  change 
the  sire  of  his  flock  but  does  not  know  where  he  can  re- 
place him.  Or,  he  may  be  in  search  of  an  animal  possessing 
certain  characteristics,  either  in  form  or  fleece. 

It  has  been  related  of  Mr.  Robt.  Bakewell.  to  whose  genius 
is  due  the  wonderful  change  that  was  made  in  the  cattle  of 
England  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  and 
who  was  the  immediate  founder  of  the  now  famous  breed  of 
"Leicester  sheep,"  that  he  has  been  known  to  search  years  for 


Register    for   Angora    Goafs.  4P^ 

an  animal  possessing  certain  points  that  he  was  wanting  to  use 
in  his  experiments.  Such  a  condition  need  never  confront 
the  American  breeders  of  the  Angora  goat  if  they  will  take 
advantage  of  the  plan  now  proposed,  to  concentrate  the  various 
types  of  Angora  goats  under  one  roof,  annually. 

It  is  well  kown  that  the  selection  of  the  best  of  each  gen- 
eration, and  mating  them,  has  been  the  means  of  bringing  all 
of  our  other  fine  classes  of  live  stock  up  to  the  high  standard 
of  excellence  they  now  enjoy,  and  it  is  therefore  to  be  hoped 
that  all  breeders  in  the  United  States  who  are  ambitious  of 
seeing  the  Angora  goat  superior  to  all  others  in  the  world, 
will  unite  w^ith  the  "American  Angora  Goat  Breeders'  Associa- 
tion," and  join  hands  with  the  Board  of  Directors  in  their  efforts 
to  make  it  such. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  Directors  to  force  any  of  the 
measures  they  have  adopted  unless  they  meet  with  the  unquali- 
fied approval  of  a  majority  of  the  breeders  who  may  become 
members  of  the  Association.  The  most  of  them  realize  they 
have  much  to  learn  concerning  the  Angora  goat,  which  is  a  com- 
paratively new  animal  to  them,  and  for  this  reason  they  earnestly 
desire  the  hearty  co-operation  of  all  the  old  and  progressive, 
breeders  in  their  efforts  to  advance  and  promote  this  young 
but  promising  industry. 


Appendix 


A     Pa.  per    on 

the 

Cashmere     Goat 

of    Asia. 


O  £ 


a  - 


CASHMERE    GOAT. 

There  has  always  been  so  much  doubt  as  to  the  true 
character  of  the  goats  that  Dr.  Davis,  of  South  Carohna,  first 
imported  into  the  United  States,  many  claiming  they  were  of 
the  "Cashmere"  breed  and  not  "Angora."  I  have  thought  it 
niight  be  at  least  interesting,  if  not  of  some  practical  value,  to 
the  present  breeders  of  the  Angora  goat  to  make  some  special 
reference  to  the  "Cashmere"  goat  itself. 

Dr.  Davis  always  maintained  that : 

"The  Cashmere,  Persian.  Angora,  and  Circassian,  goats  are  all  one 
and  the  same  animal,  changed  in  some  respects  by  altitude,  though  but 
little  by  latitude." 

Air.  D.  J.  Hrowne,  an  able  writer  on  agricultural  subjects 
took  exceptions  to  the  claim  that  Dr.  Davis  had  made,  and 
wrote  the  following  article,  which  appears  in  the  report  of  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  for  ^Sd7,  page  oG. 

Mr.  Browne  says : 

"The  Cashmere  and  Thibet  goat  are  the  same.  The  regions  called 
Cashmere,  and  Thibet,  adjoin  each  other,  and  the  western  portion  of  the 
latter,  which  is  called  little  Thibet,  is  included  in  the  dominions  of  the 
Maharaja  of  Cashmere.  This  goat  is  found  also, in  the  country  of  the 
Kirghiz,  in  Central  Asia,  at  the  bend  of  the  Ural,  north  of  the  Caspian 
Sea.  It  is  of  the  size  of  the  domestic  varieties  most  common  in  Europe, 
and  the  United  States,  and  is  covered  with  long,  flat,  and  falling  silky 
hair  beneath  which  there  is,  in  winter,  a  delicate  greyish  wool  which 
constitutes  the  fabric  of  the  costly  Cashmere  shawls  of  commerce. 
Only  three  ounces  of  this  wool  are,  on  the  average,  obtained  from  each 
goat.  *  *  The  Angora  is  of  a  silvery  white,  with  long  and  silky  hair  ol 
one  sort  only.  *  *  Dr.  Davis  is  therefore,  obviously  misled  in  supposing 
that  the  four  varieties  of  goats  named  by  him  are  identical."  See  Pat 
Ofif.  Report.  1857,  p.  5G. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Browne  claims  that  the  Cash- 
mere only  produces  "three  ounces"  of  under-wool,  or  down  : 
while  Dr.   Davis  says  the  goats  he  had,  produced  one  pound. 


456  Appendix. 

And  Mr.  S.  Holmes  Pegler,  a  well-known  authority  on  the 
Angora  goat,  and  author  of  "Advantages  of  Goat  Keeping," 
states  that  the  Cashmere  yields  one-half  pound  or  eight  ounces. 
The  following  description  of  the  Cashmere  goat  is  by  Mr. 
Pegler,  and  was  taken  from  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica : 

"This  animal  has  a  deHcate  head,  with  semi-pendulous  ears,  which  are 
both  long  and  wide.  The  hair  varies  in  length  and  is  coarse  and  of  dif- 
ferent colours,  according  to  the  individual.  The  horns  are  very  erect, 
and  sometimes  slightly  spiral,  inclining  inwards,  and  to  such  an  extent- 
in  some  cases  as  to  cross.  The  coat  is  composed,  as  in  the  Angora,  of 
two  materials;  but  in  this  breed  it  is  the  undercoat  that  partakes  of  the 
nature  of  wool  and  is  valued  as  an  article  of  commerce.  Tliis  under- 
growth, which  is  of  a  uniform  greyish-white  tint,  whatever  the  colour 
of  the  hair  may  be,  is  beautifully  soft  and  silky,  and  of  a  fluffy  description 
resembling  down.  It  makes  its  appearance  in  the  autumn,  and  continues 
to  grow  until  the  following  spring,  when,  if  not  removed,  it  falls  off  natur- 
ally; its  collection  then  commences,  occupying  from  eight  to  ten  days. 
The  animal  undergoes  during  that  time  a  process  of  combing  by  which  all 
the  wool  and  a  portion  of  the  hair,  which  of  necessity  comes  with  it.  is 
removed.  The  latter  is  afterwards  carefully  separated,  when  the  fleece, 
in  a  good  specimen,  weighs  about  half  a  pound,  being  worth  between 
half  to  three  quarters  of  a  rupee.  It  is  sold  by  the  turruk  of  twelve 
pounds.  This  is  the  material  of  which  the  far-famed  and  costly  shawls 
are  made,  which  at  one  time  had  such  a  demand  that,  it  is  stated  '16,000 
looms  were  kept  in  constant  work  at  Cashmere,  in  their  manufacture.' 
Those  goats  having  a  short,  neat  head,  very  long,  thin  ears,  a  delicate 
skin,  small  bones,  and  a  long  heavy  coat  are,  for  this  purpose,  deemed 
the  best.  There  are  several  varieties  possessing  this  valuable  quality. 
but  those  of  Cashmere,  Thibet,  and  Mongolia,  are  the  most  esteemed. 
About  the  year  ISltl,  a  small  herd  of  Cashmeres  was  introduced  iiUo 
France  with  a  view  to  acclimatize  and  breed  them  for  tne  sake  of  their 
wool,  but  the  enterprise  failed.  A  few  were  purchased  and  brought 
over  to  England  by  Mr.  C.  T.  Tower,  who,  by  careful  treatment,  so  far 
succeeded  with  them  that,  in  course  of  time  he  had  a  shawl  made  from 
their  fleece,  which  turned  out  to  be  ot  good  (juality.  At  the  death  of  the 
owner,  some  years  later,  the  herd,  which  had  then  deteriorated  through 
in-breeding,  was  presented  to  the  Queen,  and  placed  in  Windsor  Park." 
See  Ency.  Brit.,  Vol.   X,  709. 


The   Cashmere    Goat.  45^ 

About  thirty  years  ago  an  eminent  breeder  of  sheep  in 
Australia,  Sir  Samuel  Wilson,  imported  from  India,  at  an 
expense  of  £300,  sterling  (about  $1,500.00  in  American  money), 
a  pair  of  "Cashmere  goats"  for  the  purpose  of  experimenting 
with  the  breeding  of  them  in  that  climate.  His  experience  was 
not  any  more  satisfactory  with  these  than  it  had  been  with  a 
lot  of  "Angoras"  that  he  had  brought  in  about  the  same  time 
from  Asia  Minor,  and  was  not  followed  up  many  years. 

In  1873.  this  gentleman  wrote  a  pamphlet  giving  some  very 
interesting  facts  about  "Angora"  goats  in  Australia,  from  which 
the  following  extract  is  taken  touching  the  "Cashmere"  breed: 

"The  late  Prince  Albert  had  a  small  tlock  of  the  pure  Cashmere 
goats  at  Windsor.  With  the  enlightened  foresight,  for  which  he  was  dis- 
tinguished, he  was  alwaj'S  in  the  van  whenever  any  good  work  could  be 
done  for  the  benefit  of  agriculture,  or  the  increase  of  the  prosperity  of 
the  people  of  England.  Desiring  to  have  some  fabrics  manufactured  from 
the  fleece  of  his  Cashmere  flock,  a  quantity  of  the  wool,  and  hair,  as  it  is 
shorn  from  the  goats,  was  sent  to  a  large  manufacttirer.  '1  ne  separation 
of  the  wool  from  the  hair  being,  at  that  time,  from  the  imperfection  of  the 
machinery  in  use.  a  very  diificult  operation,  a  great  number  of  ladies 
assisted  the  manufacturer  by  taking  smrdl  portions  of  the  neece  ana 
picking  by  hand,  the  wool  from  the  hair.  Such  was  the  enthusiasm 
caused  by  the  experiment  that  over  a  thousand  persons  of  all  grades  and 
conditions,  were  engaged  in  the  work.  Each  person  so  employed  re- 
ceived as  remuneration  an  elegantly  engraved  certificate,  stating  that  the 
holder  had  assisted  in  bringing  to  a  successful  result  the  exepriment  of 
His  Royal  Highness  in  the  manufacture  of  Cashmere  goats'  wool.  Some 
brocades  an.d  two  beautiful  shawls  were  produced  by  Messrs.  Haley,  the 
manufacturers,  and  the  hair  was  also  made  into  a  coarse  fabric  which 
was  shown  in  contrast  with  the  finer  textures." 

'■Notwithstanding  the  success  of  this  experiment  and  the  high  nature 
of  the  requisite  textures  made  from  Cashmere  wool,  I  am  far  from  think- 
ing the  Cashmere  goat  of  equal  value,  in  an  economic  point  of  view  to  the 
Angora.  The  immense  amount  of  labor  required  to  free  the  Cashmere 
wool  from  the  coarse  hairs,  and  the  very  small  quantity  of  wool  produced 
by  each  animal,   are  dfificulties  that  are   not  to  be  surmounted." 

It  was  the  opinion  of  Sir  Samuel  Wilson  that  the  amount 
of  fine  wool  on  the  "Cashmere"  could,  by  proper  breeding,  be 
very  largely  increased,  and  he  refers  to  an  experiment  in  this 


458  Appendix. 

regard  that  was  made  by  a  M.  Pollounau  in  1.S1.S,  with  some 
"Cashmeres"  that  had  been  imported  into  France  by  Baron 
Ternaux.  a  few  years  l)efore  : 

"  "The  object  of  the  experiment,  he  says,  was  to  produce  an  animal 
with  the  wool,  or  down,  more  abundant  than  in  the  Cashmere  race  and 
with  the  hairy  coat  more  silky,  and  finer.'  The  experiment  with  the 
first  cross,  with  an  Angora  goat,  increased  the  length  of  the  under  fleece, 
or  down,  fully  twice  the  length  it  was  on  the  Cachmere.  and  it  was  the 
opinion  of  Baron  Ternaux  that  "the  fleece  of  the  cross  between  the  twc 
breeds,  in  consequence  of  its  special  qualities,  would  have  produced 
fabrics  superior  to  the  most  beautiful  of  those  hitherto  introduced." 

Mr  D.  J.  Browne  also  makes  some  reference  to  this  matter 
in  the  letter  I  have  jttst  quoted  from  referring"  to  Dr.  Davis, 
althotigh  the  name  of  ]M.  PoUotmau  is  not  spelled  exactly  the 
same  as  above,  there  is  very  little  dotibt  but  that  they  are  in- 
tended to  mean  the  same  person. 

Mr.  Browne  says : 

"There  is  some  evidence  of  the  importation  of  both  the  Thibet,  and 
the  Angora  goat,  into  France  at  different  times.  *  *  *  It  is  well  known 
that  in  1819  a  Mons  Jaubert  brought  some  400  or  oUO  Thibet  goats  from 
the  Kirghiz  Territory  to  France  having  started  from  the  former  country 
with  13n(».  Those  which  survived  the  journey  were  received  at  Marseilles 
by  a  Mons  Tessier,  and  by  him  placed  in  various  situations  in  France. 
A  doubt  was  at  one  time  expressed  as  to  the  purity  of  the  breed  of  these 
goats,  but  no  good  reason  was  advanced  as  to  the  basis  of  such  a  doubt. 
Their  fleece  did  not  prove  abundant  enough  for  profit,  however,  until 
]823,  when  a  Mons  Polonceau  caused  a  cross  to  be  made  between  the 
Thibet,  or  Cashmere  and  Angora  goat  with  great  success  insomuch  that, 
instead  of  three,  thirty  ounces  of  down  was  obtained  from  each  of  several 
of  the  cross-breeds;  and,  it  is  added,  of  a  superior  quality,  being  of  a 
finer  and  longer  staple,  while  the  animals  themselves  were  quite  hardy 
and  more  docile.  In  18'24  some  of  the  Thibet  goats  were  conveyed  from 
France  to  the  county  of  Essex,  in  England.  l)y  a  Mr.  Towers,  but  the 
number  was  not  regarded  as  sufficient,  nor  is  there  any  record  of  the 
result."      (See  Pat.  Off.  Report.  18.V),  p.  hh.) 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  there  is  no  further  record  of  this 
interesting  experiment  in  France,  but  it  is  of  great  value  to  know 
that  such  a  marked  improvement  in  the  "Cashmere"  was  made 
in  the  short  time  the  experiment  lasted. 


The    Cosh  mere    Goat.  _/5p 

In  this  connection  I  would  call  the  readers  attention  to  the 
experiment  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis,  of  South  Carolina,  with  the 
g-oats  he  had  imported  into  this  country  in  1849.  In  a  com- 
munication to  the  Patent  Office  in  1853,  Dr.   Davis  says : 

"In  the  third  cross  upon  the  Cashmere,  we  may  expect  a  valuable 
experiment  by  changing  the  fine  under-wool,  or  down,  into  a  conjoint 
and  uniform   covering  of  wool."     See   Pat.   Oflf.   Report,   1853.  p.   21. 

Sir   Samuel   Wilson   was   of   the   opinion   that 

"By  selection  the  wool  might  be  increased  by  slow  degrees,  and  the 
kinky  hairs  lessened  until  a  wool-bearing  animal,  with  a  fleece  finer  than 
the  finest  Merino  wool,  and  as  free  from  kinky  hairs,  of  its  early  progeni- 
tors, as  is  the  champion  Merino  at  Skipton,  or  INIudgee  (where  the  bes*. 
specimens  of  the  Merino  in  the  world  are  to  be  seen)  from  the  hairy 
mantle  of  its  ovine  ancestor,  the  Argali,  of  the  Caucasus.  Possibly  the 
result  might  sooner  be  reached  by  a  cross  of  the  Angora  producing  a  va- 
riety of  intermediate  forms,  and  making  the  breed  more  plastic,  and 
lessening  the  force  of  heredity,  giving  more  scope  for  selection.  O*, 
cross-bree'ding,  however,  I  am  not  an  iidmirer,  and  think  the  desired 
end  is  to  be  attained  in  a  more  satisfactory  way  by  a  long  course  of  selec- 
tion carried  out  in  an  intelligent  manner,  and  with  a  fixed  purpose  kept 
constantly  in  view.  Have  we  no  skilful  breeder  in  Australia  who  will 
undertake  this  task  and  bequeth  it  to  his  children  if  incomplete  in  his 
lifetime?" 

It  will  be  remembered  that  some  of  the  early  ( ]8.").")-.jG) 
breeders  of  the  "Davis"  goats  in  Tennessee  claimed  to  have 
produced  a  fleece  ranging  from  three  pounds  to  seven,  which 
they  sold  at  six  dollars,  to  eight  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  per  pound 
to  the  manufacturers  of  shawls  in  Paiseley,  Scotland,  (see  Chap- 
ter XVIII.)  In  view  of  the  experiments  referred  to  in  the  fore- 
going extracts  the  opinion  is  forced  upon  me  that,  possibly  the 
Tennessee  breeders  had  a  strain  of  blood  (which  we  know  came 
direct  from  the  hands  of  Dr.  Davis  in  South  Carolina)  practically 
the  same  as  mentioned  by  Mons  Pollounau  of  France,  only  of  a 
much  higher  type,  which  in  subsequent  years  they  lost  by  inad- 
vertently mixing  their  pure  goats  with  the  common  blood  of  our 
country,  and  finally  resulting  in  a  complete  change  in  the  charac- 
ter of  the  fleece. 


460  Appendix. 

It  would  indeed  be  very  interesting  if  the  suggestion  made 
by  Sir  Samuel  Wilson  could  be  carried  out  in  practice  l:)y  some 
American  breeder:  and,  in  the  absence  of  the  pure  "Cashmere" 
it  is  not  unlikely  that  one  of  our  native  Rocky  Mountain  goats 
would   make  an  excellent  substitute. 


A     Pql  per 

on     the 

Rocky    Movintain     Goat 

of    the 

United    Sta^tes. 


KOCKY  MOUNTAIN  GOAT. 

liie  following  description  is  given  of  the  Rocky  Alountani 
goat.  Capra  Americana,  by  the  late  Prof.  Spencer  F.  Baird,  an 
American  naturalist,  who  was  connected  with  the  "Smithsonian 
Institute"  of  the  United  States  for  some  time  prior  to  his  death, 
which  took  place  in  1887. 

"This  beautiful  auimal  is  frequently  eonfouiided  with  the  big  horn 
or  mountain  sheep,  from  which  it  ditiers  in  many  important  characteris- 
tics. It  is  of  the  size  of  the  domestic  sheep,  and  bears  no  inconsiderable 
resendjiance  to  the  Merino  breed  in  the  way  in  which  the  fleece  hangs 
down  on  the  sides.  The  body,  neck,  and  head,  resemble  those  of  the 
common  goat.  The  horns  are  small,  awl-shaped,  and  pointed,  and  nearly 
erect,  with  Init  a  slight  curvature  backwards.  Both  horns  and  hoofs 
are  black.  The  animal  is  entirely  white  with  the  exception  Just  named. 
The  body  is  covered  with  long,  straight  hair,  considerably  coarser  than 
the  wool  of  the  sheep,  but  softer  than  that  of  the  common  goat.  This 
hair  is  abundant  on  the  shoulders,  neck,  back,  and  thighs;  a  considerable 
tuft  of  it.  attached  to  the  chin,  forms  a  beard.  There  is  likewise  much 
of  it  on  the  chest  and  lower  part  of  the  throat.  The  t?il  is  short,  and, 
though  clothed  with  long  hair,  is  almost  concealed  by  that  which  covers 
the.  rump.  Under  the  hair  of  the  body,  there  is  a  close  coat  of  fine, 
white  wool.  The  hair  on  the  face  and  legs  is  short,  the  fetlocks  short, 
and,  with  the  hoofs,  perpendicular.  The  small  posterior  hoofs  do  not 
toucli  the  ground. 

"To  the  agriculturist  and  manufacturer,  tlie  mountain  goat  affords  a 
promise  of  importance  which  we  may  well  hope  to  see  realized.  No  wild 
species  can  compare  with  it  in  the  excellence  of  its  fleece,  which,  even  in 
its  original  state,  is  as  fine  as  that  of  the  celebrated  Cashmere  goat.  Care- 
ful management,  under  domestication,  woukl.  no  doubt,  increase  this 
character  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  Hence,  it  is  not  remarkable  that 
attention  should  have  been  directed  to  this  species  with  a  view  to  its  cul- 
tivation. The  Highland  Society,  at  one  time,  made  an  effort  to  intro- 
duce this  animal  into  Scotland,  where  it  was  supposed  it  would  thrive. 
Owing,  however,  to  the  inaccessibility  of  its  nature,  it  was  found  impossi- 
ble to  obtain  specimens.  At  the  present  time,  such  might  perhaps  be 
procured  through  the  agency  of  the  'American  Fur  Company.'  to  one 
of  whose  posts,  Fort  Benton,  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  above  ihe  falls. 
skins  arc  occasionally  brought. 


J^e^  Appendix. 

"A  competent  wool-grower  in  Scotland,  to  whom  the  subject  was  re- 
ferred, reported  that  "the  wool  which  forms  the  chief  covering  of  the  :?kin 
is  fully  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  and  of  the  finest  quality.  It  is  unlike 
the  fleece  of  the  common  sheep,  which  contains  a  variety  of  different 
kinds  of  wool,  suitable  to  the  fabrication  of  articles  very  dissimilar  in 
their  nature,  and  requires  much  care  to  distribute  them  in  their  proper 
order.  The  fleece  under  consideration  is  wholly  fine.  That  on  the  fore 
part  of  the  skin  has  all  the  apparent  qualities  of  wool;  that  on  the  back 
part,  very  much  resembles  cotton.  The  whole  tleece,  is  much  mixed 
wfith  hairs,  and  on  those  parts  where  the  hairs  are  long  and  pendant 
there  is  almost  no  wool.' 

"The  mountain  goat  inhabits  the  loftiest  peaks  of  the  Rocky  mountain 
range,  seldom  coming  down  to  the  plains.  They  frequent  the  steepest 
precipices,  and  ha\e  much  of  the  habit  of  the  common  goat.  The  species 
is  common  on  those  high  lands  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  whence  flow  the 
four  great  rivers,  the  McKenzie,  the  Columbia,  the  Missouri  and  the  Nel- 
son, each  one  emptying  into  a  different  ocean.  Their  range  is  between 
the  parallels  of  40o  and  tUo.  The  only  point  within  the  United  States 
where  they  are  well  known  is  about  Ft.  Benton,  whence  we  have  seen  a 
single  hunter's  skin.  No  animal  is  less  known  to  our  naturalists,  there 
being  not  a  single  preserved  specimen,  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge, 
in  any  museum  within  the  United  States.  Travellers  who  speak  of  the 
'mountain  goat,'  sometimes  refer  to  the  big-horn,  the  female  of  which 
has  horns  much  like  those  of  a  goat."  (See  U.  S.  Pat.  Ofif.  Report.  1851, 
p.  120. 

In  my  chapter  oiT"Science  in  Breeding,  Etc."  (XV'III ),  I  have 
copied  a  letter  from  Mr.  S.  S.  Brannin  of  Marysville,  Montana,  a 
breeder  of  Angora  goats,  who  had  hunted  and  killed  one  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  goats,  and  his  description  of  it  is  quite  interest- 
ing. 

There  is  very  little  doubt  but  that  a  cross  of  this  animal 
with  the  "Angora"  would  be  valuable. 


A    Patper    on 

the 

Llama,    and    Alpaca. 

of 

Peru,     S.    A. 


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LLAMA  AND  ALPACA. 

Considering  the  fact  that  it  was  through  the  fleece  of  the 
llama  and  alpaca  that  the  Angora  goat  was  first  brought  into 
prominence,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place,  perhaps,  to  make  some 
reference  to  this  very  peculiar,  but  valuable,  class  of  animals 
which  are  almost  exclusively  confined,  at  the  present  time,  to 
Peru,  in  South  America. 

The  following  paper  was  contributed  to  our  Agricultural 
Department  in  1857,  by  Mr.  D.  J.  Browne,  from  whose  writings 
I  have  already  quoted  in  connection  with  the  Cashmere  goat : 
Their   Geographical   Distribution,   Organization,   Food,   Habits 
and  Probable  Adaption  to  Certain  Regions  of  the  United  States. 

"On  the  lofty  Cordilleras  of  the  Andes,  in  South  America,  considera- 
bly below  the  line  of  perpetual  snow,  from  Chili  nearly  to  the  equator, 
there  abound  at  least  three  kinds  of  animals  known  under  the  names 
of  "Guanaco,"  or  'Llama;'  'Paco,'  or  'Alpaca;'  and  the  Vicuna;  the  latter 
of  which,  according  to  the  classification  of  Cuvier,  is  merely  a  variety 
of  the  llama.  This  also -agrees  with  the  opinion  of  Inca  Garcilaso  de  la 
Vega,  who  says,  in  the  year  1811,  that  'the  domestic  animals  of  the  Pe- 
ruvians are  of  two  kinds — the  greater  and  the  smaller — which  they  as 
a  common  name,  call  'llama,'  that  is  cattle  or  sheep.  The  larger  kind 
they  call  'huanacu-llama,'  on  account  of  the  resemblance  it  bears  to  the 
wild  animal  known  in  Peru  by  the  name  of  'huanacu,'  from  which  it  differs 
only  in  color;  for  the  domestic  llamas  are  to  be  met  with  as  various  in 
their  colors  as  horses;  but  the  wild  llamas  are  uniformly  of  a  chestnut 
color.  The  larger  kind  bears  a  great  similitude  to  a  camel,  except  that 
it  is  deficient  in  the  hump  upon  its  back,  and  is  not  so  large.  The  small 
kind  they  call  'paco-llama,'  which  is  only  reared  for  its  flesh  and  wool. 
The  'vicunas'  are  not  very  unlike  goats  in  their  appearance,  except  that 
they  have  no  horns,  are  larger,  and  are  of  a  leonine  color,  or  more  rud- 
dy. They  live  in  the  highest  mountains  and  groves,  and  particularly 
love  those  cold  regions  of  solitude,  which  the  Peruvians  designate  by  the 
common  name  of  'punas;'  neither  are  they  annoyed  by  frost  and  snow, 
but  are  rather  created  by  them.  They  go  in  flocks,  and  run  most 
swiftly;    and  such  is  their  timidity  that,  at  the  sight  of  man  or  wild  beasts, 


46S  Appcndi.x . 

they  instantly  liurry  into  inaccessible  retreats,  and  thereby  elude  their 
pursuers.  There  were  formerly  a  great  number  of  these  animals  here, 
but  they  are  now  becoming  much  more  rare  in  consequence  of  the  pro- 
miscuous license  of  hunting  them.  Their  wool  is  very  fine,  resembling 
silk  or  the  fur  of  the  beaver,  and  the  natives  deservedly  hold  it  in  high  es- 
timation; for,  besides  other  properties,  it  is  also  said  to  resist  heat  and 
impart  coolness  to  the  wearer. 

"The  llama  (Auchenia  glama)  ordinarily,  is  from  four  to  five  feet 
in  height,  of  a  light-brown  on  the  back  and  sides,  and  under  the  belly 
uniformly  white.  Sometimes,  however,  it  is  dun,  grey,  or  even  inclining 
to  purple,  and  very  seldom  parti-colored  or  black.  The  hair  is  long, 
of  a  texture  between  silk  and  wool,  but  not  curled. 

"The  alpaca,  (Auchenia  Alpaca)  is  smaller  than  the  llama;  its  usual 
height  being  only  four  feet.  It  appears  more  corpulent,  however,  owing 
to  its  possessing  a  much  longer  and  more  profuse  clothing  of  hair, 
which  sometimes,  is  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  in  length  on  the  sides, 
rump,  and  breast.  The  fleece  of  an  old  individual  is  represented  to  weigh 
twenty  or  thirty  pounds.  It  partakes  of  various  colors,  often  being  parti- 
colored, but  more  frequently  white  than  the  other  species. 

"The  most  frequent  breeds  are  said  to  come  from  the  central  pro- 
vinces; and  here  it  may  not  be  irrelevant  to  observe  that  there  are  two 
varieties  of  alpaca,  differing  in  size,  figure  and  fleece.  The  breed  called 
'coyas'  is  the  most  diminutive,  and  is  esteemed  for  the  smallness  of  bone 
and  symmetry  of  form.  It  is  chiefly  confined  to  the  Cusco  range  of  moun- 
tains, more  particularly  to  that  part  of  it  intervening  between  the  ancient 
city  of  the  Incas  and  Haumanga.  It  is  thought  to  be  a  remnant  of  the 
old  royal  flocks,  or  those  once  owned  by  the  priests  of  the  sun,  who  are 
represented  as  having  the  choicest  breeds.  That  territory  was,  besides  the 
principal  theatre  of  agricultural  operations,  the  seat  of  power,  and  the 
centre  of  Peruvian  civilization. 

"The  Peruvians  dry  the  flesh  of  the  llama  as  well  as  that  of  the  alpaca, 
which  they  are  very  fond  of  eating. 

"The  order  to  which  the  genus  Auchenia  belonys,  offers  to  the  eye 
of  the  naturalist  but  a  very  small  anatomical  difference  of  conformation 
from  that  containing  the  camel,  properly  so  called.  The  feet  are  not, 
like  those  of  that  quadruped,  entirely  padded  with  an  elastic  sole,  but  the 
two  toes  are  separated,  each  having  strong,  horny  nails,  or  hoofs,  nearly 
resembling  the  talons  of  a  bird,  with  a  ihick  cushion,  or  pad  beneath. 
These  animals  are  also  dissimilar  in  the  formation  and  arrangement 
of  their  teeth,  having  on  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw  one  canine  tooth  more 
than  the  camel,  Init  are  deficient  in  a  second  canine  tooth  in  the  lower 
jaw.  Their  incisors  project  fully  half  an  inch  from  the  muzzle-bone,  so 
as  to  meet  the  pad  fitted  above,  by  which  means,  and  with  the  aid  of 
the  tongue  and  cleft  lip,  they  are  not  only  enabled  to  draw  together  and 


The   Llama   a>ui   Alpaca.  469 

clip  short  grass  upon  the  ground,  but  also,  with  their  long  necks,  pointed 
muzzles,  and  the  oblique  posture  which  the  head  can  assume,  to  collect 
herbage  growing  on  the  hedges,  and  in  the  interstices  of  rocks  seven  feet 
high,  as  well  as  the  tops  of  hedges  and  tall  shrubs.  Their  teeth  are,  at 
the  same  time,  so  strong  and  interlock  in  such  a  manner  that  they  easily 
crush  and  masticate  vegetable  substances  too  hard  and  tough  for  ordi- 
nary cattle.  The  absence  of  the  hump  and  of  the  callosity  on  the  breast, 
also  constitute  striking  points  of  difiference  between  these  animals  and 
the  camel.  The  llama,  however,  has  a  conformation  resembling  the 
camel's  hump,  being  provided  with  an  excess  of  nutritive  matter,  which 
lies  in  a  thick  bed  of  fat  under  the  skin,  and  is  absorbed  as  a  compensation 
for  an  occasional  want  of  food.  Some  of  these  animals,  as  in  the  camel, 
have  collosities  on  the  knees  of  the  fore-legs,  and,  like  them,  kneel  down 
in  the  same  manner.  Their  stomachs  and  those  of  the  camel,  in  some 
respects,  are  similarly  organized.  That  cf  the  llama,  accordmg  to  Sir 
Rverard  Home,  has  a  portion  of  it,  as  it  w^-re,  intended  to  resemble  the 
reservoirs  for  water  in  the  camel;  but  these  have  no  depth,  being  only 
superficial  cells,  and  have  no  muscular  apparatus  to  close  their  mouths 
and  allow  the  solid  food  to  pass  into  the  fourth  cavity,  or  digesting  stom- 
ach, without  going  into  these  cells.  But  the  stomachs  of  these  quad- 
rupeds certainly  must  have  some  kind  of  internal  mechanism  for  retain- 
ing water  or  secreting  a  liquid  substance;  for  it  has  been  remarked, 
along  the  flanks  of  some  parts  of  the  Andes  ,that  they  live  far  above  any 
lakes  or  streams,  and  abstain  from  drink  a  great  portion  of  the  year;  and 
further,  it  has  been  observed,  that  in  a  state  of  domestication,  they  never 
manifest  any  desire  to  drink  so  long  as  they  can  obtain  an  abundance  of 
succulent  herbage.  From  the  peculiar  organization  both  of  the  camel 
and  the  llama,  we  are  led  to  infer  that  each  is  evidently  fitted  by  nature 
for  the  endurance  of  great  hardships  and  privations — the  one  amidst 
the  sands  of  the  desert,  under  a  burning  sun;  the  other  on  the  wastes 
of  some  of  the  loftiest  mountains  of  the  globe,  with  a  region  of  perpetual 
snow  above.  The  slight  variations  of  their  conformation,  such  as  that  of 
the  foot,  sre  modifications  of  nature  which  befit  them  for  their  respective 
abodes.  A  habitation  amongst  the  rocks  would  be  mechanically  impossi- 
ble for  the  dromedary,  whilst  the  burning  plains  would  be  as  little  suited 
to  the  paco. 

"The  llama,  in  its  natural  habitat  on  the  Andes,  at  an  elevation  of 
from  8,000  to  12,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  far  above  any  lakes 
or  streams,  feeds  through  choice,  on  a  sort  of  rushy  grass,  or  reed,  called 
"ichu,'  which  grows  in  abundance  where  it  is  said  these  animals  are  never 
known  to  drink  so  long  as  a  sufficiency  of  green,  succulent  herbage  can 
be  obtained.  They  also  derive  subsistence  from  the  mosses  and  lichens 
which  fringe  the  rocks  among  their  native  haunts,  or  by  browsing  upon 
tender  shvubs.     They  adapt  themselves  tc  almost  any   soil   or  situation. 


4yo  Appendix. 

provided  the  heat  is  not  oppressive  or  prolonged,  and  the  air  is  pure, 
possessing  a  hardiness  of  constitution  admirably  well  adapted  to  the 
nature  of  their  birth-place,  where,  during  half  the  year,  snow  and  hail 
incessantly  fall;  whilst  in  the  higher  regions,  nearly  every  night  during 
summer,  the  mercury  sinks  below  the  freezing  point,  and  the  peaks  are 
perpetually  covered  with  accumulations  of  ice  or  snow.  It  is  astonishing 
that  the  temperature  of  the  air  on  mountains  so  peculiarly  situated  and 
exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  the  vertical  sun,  should  be  so  much  chilled 
as  almost  to  present  the  desolate  aspect  of  the' Arctic  regions;  and  yet 
such  are  the  tracts  upon  which  the  vicuna  and  the  guanaco  abound  and 
run  wild,  far  above  the  abode  of  man,  and  are  hunted  for  their  flesh  and 
skins.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that  they  do  not  inhabit  Quito,  Santa 
Fe,  Caracas,  etc.,  although  the  climate  of  the  mountains  of  those  parts 
is  similar  to  that  of  High   Peru. 

"The  comparatively  small  size  of  these  animals,  as  well  as  the  vege- 
table forms  by  which  they  are  surrounded,  clearly  indicates  that  the  cli- 
mate of  the  Andes  is  not  favorable  either  to  animal  or  vegetable  growth. 
It  has  also  been  remarked,  that  there  the  human  species  is  subject  to 
the  same  law;  man  decreasing  in  bulk  and  stature  in  proportion  as  he 
dwells  near  the  mountain  summits.  In  Peru,  the  winter  sets  in  towards 
June,  and  is  severely  felt  on  the  highlands,  where  the  snow  remains  upon 
the  ground  six,  and  in  some  places,  eight  months  in  the  year.  As  soon 
as  the  narrow  and  green  strip  of  land  bordering  on  the  Pacific  is  passed 
the  traveller  begins  to  ascend  the  slopes;  and  when  he  attains  the  first 
table-land,  observes  a  complete  change  in  the  climate  and  the  appearance 
of  vegetation.  Except  in  the  'yungas,'  or  hollows,  where  an  alluvial 
soil  has  been  collected,  and  where  the  Indian  plants  his  sugar-cane, 
banana,  and  esculent  roots,  the  country  wears  a  naked  and  barren  aspect. 

"The  female  llama  and  alpaca  go  with  young  eleven  or  twelve  * 
months,  and  rarely  produce  more  than  one  at  a  birth.  They  are  weaned 
when  half  a  year  old,  but  are  not  put  at  work  before  they  have  com- 
pleted the  third  year.     They  begin  to  bear  when  two  years  old. 

"The  llama  and  alpaca,  as  well  as  the  alpaca  and  vicuna,  can  be  in- 
duced to  breed  together,  and  of  the  former  union  there  are  frequent  in- 
stances to  be  met  with  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  Peru.  From  this  alliance, 
a  beautiful  hybrid  results,  if  possible,  finer  to  the  eye  than  either  parenV, 
and  also  more  easily  trained  to  work,  but,  like  the  mule,  it  does  not 
procreate. 

"From  the  sterility  of  this  hybridous  race,  it  would  follow  that  the  al- 
paca is  a  distinct  variety  of  the  llama  tribe,  differing  as  much  from  its 
allied  species  as  the  horse  does  from  the  ass;  and,  consequently,  that  the 
two  domestic  animals  of  the  Peruvians  were  not  brought  to  their  present 


*According  to   investigations  made  by   Dr.  J.   L.   Hayes,  only  seven 
months  is  the  period  of  gestation.     See  Hayes,  p.   149. 


The  Llama   and  Alpaca.  4/1 

stale  by  means  of  crossing.  Their  inter-mixture  is  a  modern  expedient 
by  the  Spaniards.  It  is  ;i  rule  of  the  vital  economy,  that  life  only  springs 
from  life,  and  every  being  is  consequently  endowed  with  the  property  of 
generating  an  offspring,  inheriting  a  nature  similar  to  its  own.  When 
the  species  vary,  this  rule  ceases  to  act;  whence,  although  possessing  a 
strong  physiological  resemblance  in  many  important  points  in  their 
organization,  there  must  necessarily  be  some  material  difference  between 
the  llama  and  alpaca  in  the  functons  of  generation,  which  it  is  more  than 
presumable  equally  extends  to  the  wild  species,  and  that  difference 
produces  an  irregularity  at  variance  with  Nature's  laws,  constituting  an 
essential  condition  of  life.  It  appears  from  the  report  of  M.  Bory  de 
Saint  Vincent,  a  distinguished  naturalist,  who  accomanpied  the  French 
army  into  Spain,  under  Marshal  Soult  that  he  observed  in  the  Zoologi- 
cal Garden  of  Don  Francisco  de  Theran,  at  SanLucar  de  Barrameda, 
in  Andalusia,  three  alpa-vigonias  (the  cross  between  the  vicuna  and 
alpaca),  the  fleeces  of  which  were  much  longer,  and  six  times  heavier 
than  those  of  any  other  variety.  The  Spaniards  were  proud  of  this 
acquisition,  thinking  that  they  had  obtained  a  new  race  of  wool-bearing 
animals,  calculated  to  people  their  hills  and  repair  the  loss  sustained 
through  the  decline  in  their  Merino  flocks.  By  the  experiment  of  cross- 
ing, however,  they  defeated  the  very  object  they  had  in  view,  as  the 
animals  gradually  died  off,  without  leaving  any  offsprine'.  and  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years  there  was  scarcely  one  individual  to  be  found 
in  the  kingdom. 

"The  Peruvians  are  careful  not  to  overload  either  of  these  animals, 
the  burden  of  which  is  generally  about  100  pounds,  though  for  a  short 
distance,  on  good  roads,  they  occasionaly  carry  twelve  or  fifteen  pounds 
more.  They  are  usually  docile  and  willing  to  perform  their  task,  if 
gently  treated,  but,  if  provoked,  they  express  their  anger  by  turning 
back  their  ears  and  spitting  into  the  face  of  their  offender,  even  if 
he  be  three  of  four  yards  off.  Their  food  is  never  prepared  for  them, 
but  when  unemployed,  they  are  suffered  to  graze  on  their  native  mount- 
ains, often  pasturing  in  company  with  the  wild  species:  but  they  are 
so  much  accustomed,  and  apparently  attached  to  mankind,  that  they 
never  exchange  servitude  for  freedom.  Those  animals  which  have  been 
brought  to  Europe  and  the  United  States  appeared  to  thrive  well  for 
a  time  on  the  same  sorts  of  food  as  eaten  by  cattle  and  sheep,  but  the 
inferior  kinds  of  browse,  grass  or  hay,  with  a  due  proportion  of 
potatoes,  carrots  or  other  succulent  roots  were  preferred  by  them  to 
rich  pastures  and  farinaceous  grains.  Too  liberal  an  allowance  of 
nutritious  and  stimulating  food  to  an  animal  extremely  abstemious 
cannot,  therefore,  be  regarded  other  than  injurious.  Its  peculiarly 
formed  stomach  is  not  adapted  to  dry,  hard  food,  the  best  proof  of 
which  is  its  habitual  abstinence  from  drink.  In  Puru,  the  llama  is 
sometimes  treated  with  maize  or  millet,   in  their  green,   soft,  silky  stage. 


472  Appendix. 

"In  regard  to  the  diseases  of  these  animals,  it  has  frequently  been 
remarked  that  when  they  are  taken  down  to  the  lowland  towns,  and 
are  there  kept  for  much  length  of  time,  they  perspire  freely,  as  soon 
as  the  hot  weather  comes  on,  and,  if  neglected,  a  scurf,  or  rash,  forms 
on  the  skin.  In  their  new  character,  the  coat,  of  course,  is  carefully 
preserved  as  being  ornamental;  but,  if  it  is  shorn  ofif.  and  the  animal  is 
bathed  in  the  cool  part  of  the  day.  befoie  the  system  has  been  heated 
by  exercise,  or  the  natural  warmth  of  the  climate,  the  suiTerer  invariably 
recovers  in  a  short  time.  This  coolimi  remedy,  it  b^s  been  observed, 
the  animals  themselves  naturally  seek;  for.  when  taken  down  to  the 
heated  atmosphere  of  the  plains,  should  this  rash  break  out.  both  these 
animals  instinctively  go  in  search  of  i  refreshing  stream,  not  for  the 
purpose  of  drinking,  as  has  been  erroneously  supposed,  but  for  bath- 
ing, and  thereby  preserving  their  health. 

"For  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years  the  subject  of  introducing  these 
quadrupeds  into  this  country  has  been  agitated,  and  several  attempts 
have  been  made  to  engraft  them  into  our  husbandry.  As  well  known 
in.stances  of  this,  it  may  be  recollected  that  the  late  Col.  Skmnei  pub- 
lished an  extended  notice  of  these  animals  in  the  'American  Farmer' 
in  Baltimore,  advocating  their  adoption,  in  IS-Jl;  the  "American  Agri- 
cultural Association,'  of  the  City  of  New  York,  raised  a  fund  by  sub- 
scription for  their  introduction  in  181(i.  A  present  of  several  of  them  was 
made  by  the  Peruvian  Government  to  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  when 
Secretary  of  State;  and  the  early  part  of  the  past  winter,  a  car  of  llamas 
and  alpacas  were  shipped  to  Baltimore,  on  speculation,  from  Guya- 
quil.  But,  owing  to  the  apparent  inadaptability  of  these  animals  to  the 
climate  and  elevation  of  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  all  the  experiments 
hitherto  made  proved  futile.  To  succeed,  then,  as  a  last  resort,  we  have 
only  to  direct  our  attention  to  those  vast  elevated  tracts  known  under 
the  name  of  the  "Great  Plains."  at  the  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  lying,  principally,  between  longitude  twenty  degrees,  and  thirty 
degrees  west  from  Washington,  extending  from  Texas  to  the  Arctic 
Sea.  The  plains  contain  but  little  timber,  or  woods,  and  individual 
trees  are  rare.  They  mostly  have  a  gentle  slope  from  the  west  to  the 
east,  though,  in  some  instances,  gracefully  undulating,  clad  with  thick. 
nutritious  grasses,  and  teeming  with  animal  life.  The  soil,  though 
compact,  is  a  fine  calcareous  mould.  The  climate  is  comparatively 
rainless,  storms  being  rare,  except  during  the  melting  of  the  snows 
on  the  mountain  crests,  which  swells  the  rivers,  like  the  Nile,  to  irri- 
gate, rather  to  drain  the  neighboring  tracts.  The  herbage,  which  is 
perennial,  edible,  and  nutritious  throughout  the  year,  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  dryne.'^s  of  the  soil,  and  the  temperature  of  the  air.  It 
consists,    principally,    of   the    'Gramma,'    or    "Buffalo,"    grass,    and    covers 


Tlic  Llama   and   Al[>aca.  -//? 

the  ground  an  inch  in  height,  having  the  appearance  of  a  deHcate  moss. 
During  the  melting  of  the  snows,  in  the  immense  mountain  masses 
beyond  the  Great  Plains,  the  rivers  yield  a  copious  evaporation  in 
their  long  and  sinuous  courses;  storm-clouds  gather  on  the  summits, 
roll  down  the  mountain  flanks,  and  discharge  themselves  in  vernal 
showers.  In  this  temporary  prevalence  of  moist  atmosphere,  these 
delicate  grasses  grow,  seed  in  the  root,  and  are  cured  into  hay  upon  the 
ground  by  the  returning  drought.  It  is  in  this  longitudinal  belt  of 
eternal  pasture  that  the  llama  and  alpaca  would  thrive,  if  at  all,  in  any 
part  of  our  domains,  where  infinite  herds  of  aboriginal  cattle,  the  buffalo, 
the  elk,  the  antelope,  and  wild  horses  abound,  as  well  as  the  mountain 
sheep,  the  white  and  black  tailed  deer,  and  innumerable  smaller  game. 
They  could  be  imported  from  Peru  to  a  number  of  a  few  hundreds, 
by  the  way  of  the  Gulf  of  California  and  the  Gila,  and  presented  as  a 
token  of  friendship  to  the  immense  population  of  nomadic  Indians, 
or  their  chiefs,  by  whom  they  should  be  protected  under  the  prohib- 
itory laws. 

"Could  these  animals  be  suffered  to  remain  unmolested  for  ten  oi 
twenty  years,  if  successful,  they  would  probably  increase  to  thousands 
and  even  millions,  ever  after,  while  immense  profits  would  result  from 
their  flesh,  skins,  and  wool,  besides  using  them  as  beasts  of  burden,  in 
places  inaccessible  to  the  camel  or  the  mule."  (Agtl.  Dept.  Report, 
1857.) 

Dr.  John  L.  Hayes  added  a  very  interesting  account  of 
"The  Alpaca  and  Its  Congeners."  in  an  appendix  to  his  work 
on  the  Angora  goat  in  1882.  This  able  writer  had  evidently 
investigated  very  closely  into  the  experiments  that  had  been 
made  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  in  trying  to  acclimate  this 
animal  in  other  countries,  and,  notwithstanding  there  had  been 
no  really  successful  result,  he  was  strongly  in  favor  of  our  gov- 
ernment making  another  attempt  to  localize  them  in  the  United 
States. 

The  following  are  his  remarks  upon  "Experiments  in  Ac- 
climation :"' 

"As  these  pages  are  intended,  in  a  large  part,  for  agricultural  read- 
ers, to  whom  the  possibility  of  acquiring  new  domestic  animals  is  of 
special  interest,  they  will,  naturally,  inquire  as  to  the  success  hitherto 
attained  in  acclimating  these  animals,  and  especially  the  alpaca,  the 
most  desirable  acquisition,  out  of  Puru. 


JjTJf  Appendix. 

"The  immortal  Buffon  said,  of  the  domestic  species  in  question, 
in  1765,  'I  conceive  that  these  animals  would  be  an  excellent  acquisi- 
tion for  Europe,  and  would  produce  more  real  good  than  all  the  gold 
of  the  New  World.'  A  French  naturalist,  hardly  less  celebrated,  and 
the  highest  authority  on  acclimation  that  has  ever  lived,  Isadore  Geof- 
froy  Saint  Hilaire,  said  in  1S4H,  'When  an  attempt  shall  be  made  upon 
a  well  chosen  point  on  the  Alps,  or  the  Pyrenees,  the  success  is  as 
assured  as  that  of  any  new  enterprise  can  be.'  With  all  the  influence 
of  these  great  names,  and  the  numerous  efforts  which  they  have 
prompted,  the  attempts  to  secure  the  alpaca  or  llama  in  Europe  as  per- 
manent acquisitions  have  been  hitherto  fruitless,  although  the  partial 
success,  upon  the  whole,  furnishes  strong  grounds  for  believing  that 
further  attempts  should   not   be  abandoned. 

"I  will  just  recount  the  experience  in  England,  obviously  a  most 
unfavorable  country  on  account  of  its  moist  climate.  The  first  alpaca 
seen  in  England  was  in  1809.  The  Duchess  of  York  had  four  or  five 
alpaca  pets;  but  they  gave  no  increase.  In  1817,  Mr.  Burnett,  of  Burks, 
imported  two  alpacas,  and  from  this  stock  reared  fifteen  young.  The 
Earl  of  Derby,  who  had  a  passion  for  the  acclimation  of  animals, 
entered  into  the  enterprise  of  raising  alpacas  with  great  spirit,  and  in 
1841  wrote:  T  certainly  know  of  nothing  likely  to  prevent  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  animals  in  this  country.'  It  is  said  that  he  afterwards  changed 
his  opinion.  The  alpacas  of  the  Earl  of  Derby  eventually  came  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  Titus  Salt,  who  devoted  much 
attention  to  their  culture.  He  finally  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
'while  the  alpacas  could  endure  the  most  intense  cold,  they  would  be 
unable  to  withstand  the  humidity  of  the  climate  of  England.'  Further 
attempts  to  acclimate  the  alpr.ca  in  England  seem  to  have  been  thence 
forth   abandoned. 

".\n  English  author,  William  Walton,  who  published  a  book  on 
the  alpaca  in  1811,  said  that  'there  was  no  obstacle  to  the  acquisition  of 
the  alpaca  by  France  on  the  Alps  and  the  Pyrenees,  except  the  incapaciay 
of  Frenchmen."  While  the  results  in  France  certainly  do  not  refute 
Mr.  Walton's  reproach,  they  evince  no  lack  of  zeal.  But  although 
BufTon,  in  his  extreme  old  age,  declared  'I  persist  in  believing  that  it 
would  be  as  possible  as  it  would  be  useful  to  naturalize  these  three 
species  of  the  animals  of  Puru,'  nothing  was  done  in  this  direction  until 
the  commencement  of  this  century,  when  the  Empress  Josephine 
revived  the  idea  of  Buffon.  In  1804  she  obtained  orders  from  the  King 
of  Spain  for  the  transmission  to  France  of  a  flock  of  the  three  then 
known  species  of  these  animals  from  his  kingdom  of  Peru.  Thirty- 
five  animals  were  embarked  from  Buenos  Ayres.  On  the  voyage  they 
did  well  until  the  provision  of  potatoes  gave  out,  when  twenty-seven 
died.     The  survivors  were  landed  in  Spain,  but,  on  account  of  the  wars, 


TJic  Llama   and   Alpaca.  4J5 

never  reached  France.  Subsequently,  at  a  period  not  mentioned,  Wil- 
liam II.  King  of  Holland,  obtained  a  certain  number  of  alpacas  and 
llamas,  which  he  established  in  one  of  his  parks.  Notwtihstanding  the 
low  and  humid  locality,  they  multiplied  to  such  an  extent  that  the  flock 
reached  the  number  of  thirty  head.  In  1849,  the  French  Minister  of 
Agriculture  purchashed  this  flock,  consisting  of  eighteen  llamas  and 
twelve  alpacas,  which  arrived  in  good  health;  but,  instead  of  bemg 
carried  to  the  mountains,  they  were  placed  at  Versailles,  and  all  died. 
In  1857,  the  Imperial  Society  of  Acclimation  of  France,  engaged  the 
services  of  a  M.  Roehn,  an  enthusiast  in  the  project  of  naturalizing 
these  animals,  and  familiar  with  them  in  their  native  country,  who,  after 
surmounting  fatigue  and  difficulties  impossible  to  describe,  landed  at 
Bordeaux  thirty-three  alpacas,  nine  llamas,  and  one  vicuna,  which  were 
the  only  remains  of  some  hundreds  with  which  he  started  from  Peru. 
The  last  record  of  this  flock,  made  in  18G1,  is  that  'those  which  survived, 
unfortunately  a  small  number,  are  now  distributed  in  dififerent  suitable 
localities,   and   are   in   a   good   state.' 

"An  enterprise,  which  for  some  time  promised  very  brilliant  results, 
was  undertaken  about  185-2,  by  Mr.  Charles  Ledger,  an  Englishman 
(whose  observations  I  have  before  frequently  referred  to),  who  had  been 
employed  in  purchasing  alpaca  wools  in  Puru  for  English  houses.  In- 
duced by  the  promise  of  a  premium  of  £10,000,  made  by  the  Colony  of 
New  South  Wales,  for  the  introduction  of  a  flock  of  Alpacas,  he  devoted 
six  years  of  inexpressible  toil  and  difficulty  to  this  enterprise.  His 
difficulties  were  greatly  enhanced  by  the  necessity  of  removing  the  ani- 
mals clandestinely,  their  exportation  being  prohibited  by  the  Peruvian 
government.  Starting  from  the  interior  in  February,  1858,  with  415 
head  of  llamas,  alpacas,  and  vicunas,  he  arrived  at  the  port  of  Caldera, 
in  May,  with  .322  animals.  Thence  embarking  for  Sidney  in  New  South 
Wales,  he  arrived  at  that  port  in  September  with  260  head  in  excellent 
condition.  The  flock,  immediately  on  its  arrival,  was  driven  to  an  eleva- 
ted locality,  the  district  of  Mammera.  --CO  miles  from  Sydney,  a  point 
previously  selected  by  Mr.  Ledger.  He  writes  to  a  friend  soon  after 
their  arrival.  "The  animals  are  admirably  recovered,  in  spite  of  the  heat 
of  the  season,  and  the  privations  of  the  voyage.'  The  next  report  we 
have  of  the  alpacas  is  a  letter  from  Mr.  Edward  Wilson,  a  distinguished 
propagator  of  acclimation  in  Australia,  published  in  the  'Times'  in  1862. 
He  says,  'The  alpacas  of  Mr.  Ledger  have  rapidly  multiplied.  They  are 
exempt  from  every  malady,  and  appear  to  accommodate  themselves  bet- 
ter to  the  indigenous  plants  than  to  the  clover  and  lucerne  and  other 
cultivated  plants  first  given  to  them.  The  propagation  of  the  alpaca 
in  Australia  is  only  a  question  of  time.'  It  is  really  sad,  in  view  of  the 
subsequent  results  which  I  am  compelled  to  state,  to  see  the  extrava- 
gant hopes   that  this   intrepid   enthusiast  built   upon   his   enterprise.     He 


^/O  Appc.idix. 

declared  that  the  descendants  from  his  animals  alone  would  be  suffici- 
ently numerous  before  fifty  years  to  supply  an  exportation  of  wool 
of  the  value  of  fifteen  million  pounds  sterling. 

"The  final  report  we  have  of  this  crterprise,  from  which  so  much 
wa^  hoped,  is  in  1878,  and  is  as  follows: 

•■  "At  first  the  experiment  of  Mr.  Ledger  presented  most  encourag- 
ing prospects;  the  herds  continued  healthy,  and  increased  in  numbers; 
but  gradually  the  subtle  influences  of  the  loss  of  their  native  mountain 
climate  became  apparent,  the  creatures  drooped,  their  numbers  dwindled 
and  for  the  present  the  undertaking  must  be  regraded  as  a  complete 
failure.* 

•'Some  of  the  alpacas  brought  from  Peru  by  M.  Roehn  in  1H49. 
were  landed  in  New  York.  I  have  no  information  as  to  their  further 
destination  or  ultimate   fate."     S:e   Hayes,   p.   159-1()2. 

In  the  Report  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Watts  for  1875,  oin 
then  Commissioner  of  As^ricukure,  I  find  the  foUowing : 

"In  the  latter  part  of  \^~t~).  correspondence  was  had  between  the  Com 
missioner.  and  Hon.  Francis  Thomas,  late  minister  to  Peru  (since  de- 
ceased) concerning  a  small  flock  of  alpacas  which  that  gentleman  had 
imported  from  Peru  and  placed  on  his  farm  at  Frankville,  AUeghaney 
County,  Maryland.  In  a  letter  of  October  8,  1875.  ]Mr.  Thomas,  in- 
closing a  sample  of  the  wool  of  four  months'  growth,  remarked:  "The 
fiber  of  a  fleece  of  twelve  months'  growth  often  exceeds  fifteen  inches 
in  length,  and  the  fleeces  average  from  seven  pounds  to  ten  pounds  j 
in  weight.  The  animals  live  to  an  age  of  twenty,  twenty-five  and  some- 
times thirty  years;  are  too  large,  and  bold,  to  be  worried  by  dogs. 
and  are  very  docile,  and  tractable.  I  think  you  will  concur  with  me  in 
the  opinion  that  this  experiment  which  I  am  conducting  is  well  worth 
the  expense  which  I  have  incurred,  especially  when  we  consider  the 
public  benefit  which  would  accrue  in  case  of  my  success.  The  illustra- 
tions here  given  are  photographs  of  several  of  my  flock. 

"Attempts  have  been  made  at  various  times  in  this  country,  in 
Europe,  and  in  Australia,  to  introduce  the  alpaca,  but  generally,  without 
profitable  results.  Various  causes  have  contributed  to  the  failure  of 
these  efiforts.  Sometimes  the  confinement  on  shipboard,  during  a  long 
voyage,  has  nearly  destroyed  the  stock.  Again  the  animals,  when 
brough*^  to  their  destined  abode,  have  been  placed  on  luxuriant  clover 
pasture,  or  other  feed,  so  much  richer  than  the  coarse  herbage  of  their 
native   regions   that   disease   has   fastened   on   the   whole   flock. 


^Encyclopaedia    Britannica.    art.    "Alpaca,"    ed.    of    1878. 

fDr.  Hayes  says:  "The  adult  llama  furnishes  an  annual  fleece  of 
from  twelve  to  fourteen  pounds  and  exceptionally  of  twenty."  (See 
Hayes,  p.   150. 


77/r   Llama   and   Alpaca.  4^y 

■'The  alpaca  is  indigenous  in  the  mountain  regions  of  Peru,  and 
thrives  in  the  highest  inhabited  districts  of  the  Andes,  where  the  cold 
is  more  severe  than  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States.  Accustomed 
to  the  viccisitudes  of  such  regions,  r.nd  inured  to  cold,  damp, 
hunger,  and  thirst,  it  is  especially  adapted  to  bleak  hill  districts.  Yet, 
it  is  said  to  do  well  in  most  localities  where  the  air  is  pure,  the  heat  not 
oppressive,  and  water,  for  bathing,  readily  accessible.  The  latter  is 
stated  to  be  indispensable  to  the  health  of  the  animal,  which,  when  de- 
prived of  this  requisite,  soon  becomes  fevered,  and  infected  with  scab. 

"While  the  introduction  of  the  alpaca  into  this  country  still  remains 
a  matter  of  experiment,  there  is  no  known  reason  why  such  experiment 
should  not  be  successful,  when  properly  conducted,  in  localities  afford- 
ing some  approximation  to  the  native  conditions  of  the  animal.  Not 
to  mention  many  elevated  situations  in  the  Atlantic,  Northern,  and  Cen- 
tral States,  the  regions  lying  along  the  Rocky  Mountain  ranges  have 
been  indicated  as  presenting  good  opportunities  for  such  trials."  See 
Agtl.    Dept.    Report,   1875,   p.   437. 

It  appears  to  me  there  are  many  places  in  the  United  States 
where  the  hama  and  alpaca,  conld  be  made  to  thrive  equally  as 
well  as  in  their  native  country,  and  in  view  of  the  remarkable 
success  that  has  attended  the  introduction  of  the  Angora  goat 
in  our  country,  notwithstanding  the  many  failures  in  other  conti- 
nents, it  would  certainly  seem  to  justify  the  appropriation  of  a 
few  thousand  dollars  upon  the  part  of  our  government  in  mak- 
ing an  experiment  that  is  likely  to  result  in  so  nuich  genera! 
good.  It  is  hardly  reasonable  to  expect  individuals  to  take  this 
risk  in  the  face  of  so  many  apparent  failures  in  other  countries. 
It  is  not  known,  in  fact,  that  the  experiment  of  the  Hon.  Francis 
Thomas  was  a  failure  or  not.  This  gentleman  seems  to  have 
died  soon  after  he  brought  the  stock  from  I'crti,  and  placed 
them  on  his  farm  in  Maryland.  It  is  more  than  likely  his  heirs 
were  not  in  sympathy  with  him  in  the  enterprise  and  paid  little, 
or  no  attention,  to  the  animals  after  his  death  and  permitted 
them  to  die  for  want  of  proper  attention.  The  same  fate  might 
have  followed  our  experiment  with  the  "Angola"  goat.  ]3r.  J. 
B.  Davis  of  South  Carolina,  brought  over  from  Turkey  the  first 
of  these  in  1849,  and  died  not  many  years  after.  If  he  had  not 
succeeded  in  placing  them  in  the  hands  of  a  gentleman  of  the 
public  spirit  and  enterprise  of  Col.  Richard  Peters  of  Georgli, 


4y8  Appendix. 

we  would  not  today  be  enjoying  the  fruits  from  our  "Angora 
Goat  Industry."  Col.  Peters  practically  founded  this  industry 
at  the  risk  of  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in  an  early  day  when 
we  could  hardly  expect  our  government  to  take  part  in  any  such 
matter;  I)ut,  in  this  day  and  time  it  is  unreasonable  to  expect  in- 
dividuals to  risk  their  capital  in  an  enterprise  that  is  calculated 
to  be  of  national  benefit,  which  the  successful  introduction  of 
the  Alpaca  would  certainly  result  in. 

An  experiment  of  this  nature  can  be  carried  out  with  reas- 
onable assurance  of  success,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Congress 
will  be  generous  enough  to  make  the  necessary  appropriation 
to  import,  say  one  hundred  females  with  a  sufficient  number  of 
males  and  distribute  them  either  in  the  hands  of  individuals  in 
our  Rocky  Mountain  districts,  where  they  are  more  than  likely 
to  thrive,  or  divide  them  up  in  several  parcels  and  place  them 
in  charge  of  the  Experimental  Stations  in  such  States  as  may 
seem  best. 


A    Pamper    on. 

the 

Ibex 

of    Asidk.. 


PLATE  XLIXl. 


THE  IBEX. 

It  is  claimed-  by  some  naturalists  that  the  Angora  goat 
originated  from  a  cross  between  the  "Ibex"  and  "Domestic 
Goat,"  an  opinion  however  that  appears  to  have  very  little  sup- 
port beyond  the  fact  that  the  animal  is  quite  common  in  Asia, 
and  if  taken  when  young  can  be  easily  tamed. 

According  to  Tschudi 

"Young  tamed  Ibexes  were  frequently  driven  to  the  mountains,  along 
with  the  goats  in  whose  company  they  would  afterwards  voluntarily 
return.  Even  wild  specimens  have  been  known  to  stray  among  the 
herds  of  goats  although,  strange  to  say,  they  at  all  times  shun  the  society 
of  the  chamois." 

This,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  two  animals  grow 
"beards,"  and  the  "horns"  are  somewhat  of  the  same  nature, 
would  seem  to  constitute  the  only  ground  for  such  an  opinion. 
In  order  that  the  reader  can  form  his  own  judgment  upon  this 
subject,  (although  I  do  not  regard  it  as  being  of  any  material 
importance),  I  have  taken  the  following  description  of  the  animal 
from  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  together  with  the  accompany- 
ing illustration   as   shown   in   plate   XLIII. 

■■  'Ibex'  is  the  common  name  of  several  closely  allied  species  of 
ruminant  mammals,  belonging  to  the  genus  capra.  or  goats,  inhabit- 
ing the  loftiest  regions  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa.  The  European 
ibex,  or  steinboc,  capi'a  ibex,  abounded  during  the  middle  ages  among 
mountain  ranges  of  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  the  Ural,  but  has  since 
disappeared  from  the  greater  part  of  this  area,  being  now  plmost  wholly 
confined  to  the  Alps,  which  separate  Valais  from  Piedmont,  and  to  the 
lofty  peaks  of  Savoy,  where  its  continued  existence  is  mainly  due  to  the 
action  of  protective  game  laws.  The  Ibex  is  a  handsome  animal  meas- 
uring about  four  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  high; 
its  skin  is  covered  in  summer  with  a  short  fur  of  an  ashy  grey  colour,  and 
in  winter  With  much  longer  yellowish-brown  hair,  concealing  a  dense 
fur  beneath.  A  short  beard  is  present  in  the  male  in  winter,  but,  as 
it  disappears  altogether  in  spring,  Darwin  regards  this  appendage  as 
rudimentary.  The  horns,  especially  in  the  male,  form  a  striking  feat- 
ure;   rising  from  the  crest  of  the  skull,  they  bend  gradually  backwards. 


482  Appendix. 

attaining  a  length,  in  old  specimens  of  about  two  feet;  they  are  thick 
and  flat,  and  have  the  anterior  face  rid^ged  with  knotty  transverse  bands. 
In  the  female,  the  horns  never  exceed  half  a  foot  in  length,  and  are  much 
less  rugose  than  in  the  male.  The  front  legs  are  somewhat  shorter  than 
those  behind,  which  enables  the  Ibex  to  ascend  the  mountain  slopes 
with  more  facility  than  it  can  descend,  while  its  hoofs,  according  to 
Tschudi.  are  'as  hard  as  steel,  rough  underneath,  and  when  walking 
over  a  fiat  surface,  capable  of  being  spread  out.'  These,  together  with 
its  powerful  sinews,  enable  it  to  take  prodigious  leaps,  to  balance  itself 
on  the  smallest  foothold,  and  to  scale  almost  perpendicular  rocks.  The 
Ibex  lives  habitually  at  a  greater  height  than  the  chamois,  or  any  other 
of  the  Alpine  mammals,  its  vertical  limit  being  the  line  of  perpetual 
snow.  There  it  rests  in  sunny  nooks  during  the  day,  descending  at 
night  to  the  highest  woods  to  graze,  and  retiring  at  sunrise  to  its  snowy 
fastnesses.  This  return  journey  forms  the  Ibex  hunter's  opportunity. 
To  get  within  gunshot  the  huntsman  has  usually  to  approach  from 
above;  accordingly,  he  ascends  to  the  limit  of  perpetual  snow,  and  there 
passes  the  night  among  the  daily  haunts  of  the  Ibex,  lying  in  wait 
from  early  dawn  for  its  return.  The  Ibexes  are  gregarious,  feeding  in 
herds  of  ten  to  fifteen  individuals;  the  old  males,  however,  generally 
live  apart  from,  and  usually  at  greater  elevations  than,  the  females  and 
young.  They  are  said  to  give  out  a  sharp  whistling  sound,  not  unlike 
that  of  the  chamois,  but,  when  greatly  irritated,  or  frightened,  they  make 
a  peculiar  snorting  noise.  The  period  of  gestation  in  the  female  is 
ninety  days,  after  which  she  produces,  usually  at  the  end  of  June,  a 
single  young  one,  which  is  able  at  once  to  follow  its  mother.  These, 
when  caught  young,  and  fed  on  goat's  milk  can,  it  is  said,  be  readily 
tamed;  and,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  young  tamed  Ibexes  were,  accord- 
ing to  Tschudi,  frequently  driven  to  the  mountains  along  with  the  goats, 
in  whose  company  they  would  afterwards  voluntarily  return.  Even 
wild  specimens  have  thus  been  known  to  stray  among  the  herds  of  goats, 
although,  strange  to  say,  they  at  all  times  shun  the  society  of  the  cha- 
mois. The  Ibex  was  formerly  hunted  largely  for  its  flesh  and  skin; 
but,  although  the  latter,  owing  to  its  scarcity,  now  commands  a  high 
price,  the  difficulty  arising  from  the  operation  of  the  game  laws,  and 
above  all  the  difficulty  and  danger,  inseparable  from  the  sport,  have 
reduced  the  number  of  hunters,  to  a  few  hardy  mountaineers,  who  find 
in  the  pursuit  of  the  Ibex,  the  keenest  enjoyment  of  life.  For  weeks, 
the  sportsman  will  follow  a  track  across  fields  of  ice,  along  narrow 
ledges,  over  precipices,  and  across  chasms,  nearly  frozen  to  death  at 
night,  and  often  with  little  more  than  a  crust  of  bread  for  sustenance, 
yet  considering  himself  more  than  repaid  by  the  sight,  at  last,  of  his 
prey  grazing  within  range  of  his  rifle.  Its  flesh  is  said  to  resemble  mut- 
ton, but  has  a  flavour  of  game."  Ency.  Brit.  Vol.  XII,  p.  605. 
I 


FormulaL 

for    Dressirvg    the    ArvgorsL 

GoaLt    Skin 


FORMULA 

FOR   DRESSING    THE   ANGORA   GOAT   SKIN. 

First.  The  skin  should  be  "fleshed."  If  it  has  been  dried, 
it  should  be  thoroughly  soaked  over  night  in  cold  water,  and 
then  placed  on  a  half-round  beam,  and  scraped  with  a  blunt 
knife  to  remove  fleshy  particles  and  open  the  pores  of  the  skin 
to  receive  the  preparation  for  tanning. 

Second.  The  next  thing  is  to  wash  the  hair  of  the  skin 
thoroughly  with  luke-warm  water,  and  good  soap.  It  should  be 
rinsed  well,  so  as  to  remove  all  the  soap,  and,  in  rinsing,  if  the 
water  is  poured  on  the  hair  properly  it  will  have  a  tendency  to 
get  it  straight.  Where  a  good  clean  creek  is  convenient,  it 
can  be  rinsed  better  in  that  than  in  any  other  way. 

Third.  The  skin  is  now  ready  to  receive  the  dressing  prep- 
aration, which  is  made  of  two-thirds  powdered  alum  and  one- 
third  fine  salt,  well  mixed  together,  and  sprinkled  over  the  fleshy 
part  of  the  skin.  See  that  the  skin  is  covered  to  the  thickness  of 
a  "nickle"  or  "dime."  The  skin  is  then  folded  up,  flesh  to  flesh, 
and  placed  away  until  the  following  day,  when, 

Fourth.  It  is  opened  up  and  spiinkled  with  a  solution  of 
alum  and  salt  and  water  made  in  like  proportions  as  the  first. 
This  is  done  with  a  whisp-broom,  to  insure  that  the  preparation 
will  cover  every  part  of  the  hide.  A  little  bran  may  be  sprinkled 
over  the  skin  at  this  stage,  to  absorb  the  solution  and  keep  it 
damp.  The  skin  is  folded  up  as  before,  and  the  same  thing 
is  done  for  a  couple  of  days  more,  when  it  is  hung  up  to  dry. 
It  will  be  drawn  up  or  contracted,  through  the  action  of  the  alum, 
to  about  two-thirds  its  natural  size,  when  perfectly  dry,  which 
will  require  several  days. 

Fifth.  After  being  dried,  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  dry 
salted  hide,  very  stiff,  and  all  out  of  shape.  It  is  then  sprink- 
led with  a  little  water,  to  soften  it.  Do  not  make  it  too  soft ; 
just  sprinkle  it  well,  fold  up,  and  lay  aside  for  twenty-four 
hours,  with  a  heavy  weight  on  it ;  the  water  will  soon  penetrate 
the  hide,  and  it  will  then  be  in  condition  for  "mooning,"  which  is 
the  stretching  process. 


486  Appendix.  . 

Sixth.  The  stretching,  or  working,  is  done  with  a  half- 
moon-shaped  knife,  with  a  short  crutch  handle  to  hold  it,  and  the 
workman  secures  the  skin  by  means  of  a  beam,  like  a  tall 
carpenter's  horse.  This  can  be  made  out  of  2x2  stuff, 
and  it  is  fixed  to  the  floor  of  the  room  under  a  string  joist 
of  the  floor  above.  A  piece  of  2x2  stuff  can  be  used  to 
fasten  the  skin  securely  for  "working."  If  you  have  no  regular 
"half-moon"  knife,  one  can  be  made  out  of  some  old  saw  blade, 
or  something  thicker,  and  stiffer,  would  be  better,  with  a  half- 
round  blade,  not  too  sharp.  The  skin  is  held  firmly  with  one 
hand,  and  the  workman  has  the  half-moon  fixed  to  the  crutch 
like  handle,  which  he  works  from  the  shoulder  of  his  arm.  The 
crutch  handle  is  placed  under  the  arm-pit,  and  he  holds  the  knife 
by  his  hand,  and  stretches  the  skin  little  by  little,  commencing 
usually  at  the  outer  ends,  and  stretching  it  all  around  as  nearly 
uniform  as  possible.  The  skin  should  be  worked  in  this  way 
several  times  before  it  can  be  thoroughly  brought  back  to  its 
natural  shape.  And,  after  each  working,  it  should  be  folded 
up,  and  a  heavy  weight  placed  on  it,  to  keep  in  the  moisture  It 
should  be  worked  in  this  way  several  times,  when  the  skin  will  be 
quite  soft  and  dry.  It  must  not  be  worked  at  all,  unless  there  is 
sufficient  dampness  in  the  skin  to  admit  of  its  stretching.  If 
it  is  perfectly  dry  when  you  attempt  to  "moon  it"  it  will  split 
and  crack. 

Seventh.  There  should  be  as  little  combing  of  the  hair  as 
possible.  If  the  hair  is  matted;  separate  it  by  tearing  it  apart, 
and  then  place  it  on  the  working  beam,  and  with  a  rounded 
stick,  or  broom  handle,  beat  the  hairs  straight. 


Ii\d 


ex 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Abortion    in    Angora    does 381 

Abrams.  J.  V.,  reference  to,  by  Col.  W.   W.   Haupt 76 

Acorns,    reference   to 286.   38-J,    389,    416 

Age   of    Angora    goats 67,    43-2 

—How   to    tell 372 

Aiken,    Hon.    D.    Wyatt,   reference   to 243 

Alabama,    reference   to   Angora    goat   industry    in 96 

■"Albany  Times,"   extract  from   concerning  "Davis"   goats 202 

Alder   brush,    reference   to 359,    366 

Allen,  Col.  Richard,  letter  from  concerning  early  "Davis"  goats....   19? 

Allen,    L.   A.,   reference  to 446,   448 

Allshorn,   Dr.   Adolph   H.,   reference  to   goat's   milk 289 

Alpaca,    first   manufacture    of    in    England 122 

— Irnported    into    England 123 

— Extent   of   production   in   Peru ]  23 

Alpaca,    and    Llama,    description    of 467 

— Reference  to   introduction   of,   into   United   States 47z 

— Experiments    in    acclimating 473,   474,    475 

— Fleece    of 476 

— Age    of 476 

Ambler,  Dr.  D.  C,  first  to  introduce  Angoras  into  New  York 69 

American  Angora  Goat  Breeders'  Association,  reference  to 446 

American  Angora  goat  record,   reference  to 447 

■"American  Farmer,"  reference  to  concerning  Llamas  and  Alpacas..  472 

American  Institute,  report  of  concernini^  "Davis"  goats 191 

Angora,  and  Cashmere,  goats,  experimentb  in  crossing 458 

— Opinion  of  Sir  Samuel   Wilson  on  crossing 459 

—Reference  to 187,  197 

^'Angora,"  Col.  Richard  Peters  decides  on  name  of  the  "Davis"  goats  198 

Angora  goat,  when,  where,  and  how,  did  it  originate 25 

— First    mention    of '-*> 

— Dr.   H.ayes'  opinion  as  to  introduction  in  Asia  Minor 27 

— Jno.   S.   Harris'  opinion  as  to  origin 29 

Angora  goat,  distribution  of,  into  other  countries 34 

— Reference  to,  by  M.  Tournefort 34 

—Reference  to,   by   M.    de  la  Tour   d'Aigues 34 

— Introduction  of  into   Spain   and   France 34 

— Embargo  placed  on  exportation  of,  from  Turkey 36 


iv.  Index. 

PAGE 

—In    Canada 39 

— Early  variety,   character  of 41.   91,  187 

— Importations  of,  into  the  United  States 48 

— Ancient  custom  of  bathing  them  in  wine 91 

— Ears,    character    of 91 

— Number  of,   in  different  States 104 

— Impossible  to  sell  in  large  numbers,  for  slaughter 114 

— Feeding    of,    for    market 155 

— Pure-bred   variety    extinct 178 

— In  Turkey  nearly  all  are  cross-breeds 178 

— Difference    in 181 

— Dr.  John  Bachman's  reference  to 196 

— Pure-breeds,  opinions  as  to  what  point   it  has 213,   214,  215 

— Age    of,    how    to    tell 372 

— Milking    qualities 281 

• — Difterence  between  it,  and  sheep,   as  to   meat 375 

—Skins,  how  to  dress  with  the  hair  on 485 

— Estimate   of  the   value   of  in   Turkey 445 

— Estimate   of   shearing   capacity   in   Turkey 445 

Angora   skins,   tariff   on 166 

— How  they  are  graded  in  market 147 

— How  to  prepare  them  for  market 147 

Angora  lace   trimming,   reference  to 127 

Angora,  province  of,  description  of 31 

Angora  venison,  as  a  salable  product 154 

— And  mutton,  compared,  as  to  value 151.   i55,  156 

— Different   from   common   goat   meat 158 

Arizona,    reference   to   Angora    industry   in 93 

— Notes   of  breeders   in 434 

— Reference    to    territory 302 

Arkansas,  reference  to  Angora   industry  in 96 

Arlington  Mills,  reference  to,  by  Dr.   Hayes 128 

Armstrong,  J.  D.,  reference  to 371 

Arnold,  Brothers,  one  of  the  early  breeders  in  Texas 76 

Arnold    goats,    reference    to 332 

Arnold,  J.  M.  statment  of.  concerning  his  Angora  goats 316 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding 404.  433 

— Remarks  of.   concerning  non-shedding  Angoras 226 

Arsenic,  as  a  remedy  for  lice  on   goats 383 

Ash  brush,    reference   to 360 

Asiatic  goats,  reference  to  by  Dr.  Jno.   Bachman 196,  197 

— Skins  of,  reference  to 16C 

Asiatic    mange,    reference    to 378 

Asia  Minor,  reference  to,  by  Jno.  S.  Harris 91 


'  Index.  V. 

PAGE. 

"Atlanta  Constitution,"  extract  from  conccrn'.ng  "Davis'  '  goats  . .  60 
— Extract    from 255 

Austria,  reference  to  Angora  goat  industry  in Ih^ 

—Introduction  of  the   Llama,   and  Alpaca  into 475 

Babb,  Rev.  D.  S..  one  of  the  early  Texas  breeders "(> 

— Statements   from,   concerning  his   Angora   goats 31H 

— Notes  from,   on  practical  breeding 402.   433 

"Babb,"    goats,    reference    to 319' 

Bachelder,  Hon.  N.  J.,  letter  from  concerning  land  in  New  Hampshire  296 

— Reference  to  Angora  goat  industry,  in  New  Hampshire 95 

Bachman.   Dr.  John,   opinion  about  Angora   meat 155 

— Report    of,    on    "Davis"    goats 195,    196' 

— Extract  from  writings  of 232.  24n 

Bailey.    C.    P.,    importations    made   by,    from    South    Africa 51.       84 

— Statement    from,    concerning    his    Angoras 331 

— Reference  to  mohair   grown  by 332' 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding 415,   434 

"Bailey,"  goats,  reference  to 320,  327,  328,  3-32,  335,  339,  340,  436 

Bailey,  Hon.  J.  W.,  reference  to  abandoned  farms  in  ]\Iaine 295 

Baird,  Prof.  Spencer  F.,  description  of  Rocky  ^lountain  goat 403 

Bakewell,    Robt.,    reference    to 448 

Barnes,  Almont.  concerning  available  pasturage  in  United  States.  ..  .   302 

— Reference   to   bulletin   concerning   goats 108' 

Barnette,  J.   R..   statement  from,   concerning  his  Angoras 339 

: — Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 423,    434 

"Barnes,"   reference   to   clearing  with   goats 351 

Barrett,  Dr.  M.,  experience  in  breeding  in  Virginia 66 

Bass-wood,  reference  to  clearing,  with  goats 356 

Baylor,  Geo.  W.,  remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras,   etc 228 

—Reference  to  Col.  W.  D.  Parish  78 

— Statement  from,  concerning  his  Harris  &  Baylor  goats 310 

— Associates   with  Jno.    S.    Harris '. 92 

, — Reference  to  transfer  of  goats  from  Idaho,  by  Jno.  S.   Harris.   339 

— Notes   from   on    practical   breeding 400,   433 

Beard  of  Angora  goat,   reference  to 214,  260- 

Belon  Father,  first  mention  of  the  Angora  goat 26 

Bell,  Hon.  C.  J.,  letter  from  concerning  Angoras  in  Vermont 95 

— Concerning    lands    in    Vermont 296 

Bells,  number  of,  to  use  on  a  flock 392 

—Advantage    of 392 

— Reference   to 430 

Berry,  Wm.,  reference  to  sheep  industry 442 

Bevington,  Dr.,  of  Iowa,  reference  to 101 


vi.  Index. 

PAGE 

Bible,    references    in : '2()3,    264,  266 

■■ — Testimony  concerning  the  goat,   -md,   hair  of "2.5,  117 

"Billy,"  reference  to  use  of  term "ili;^,  2(!4,  2ti5 

Bill,  James   A.,   statement   from,    concerning   his   Angoras 344 

— Concerning    Angora    goats    in    Comiecticut 96 

— Reference  to   clearing  brushy   land 370 

— Notes   from   on   practical  breeding 430,  435 

Binns    H.    O.,   observations   on   cross-breeding   in   Turkey 177 

— On   different  types  of  Angora   goats 181 

— On  original  type  of  the  Angora  goat 187 

— Opinion  of,  as  to  pure-bred  Angoras "213 

—Reference    to 232.  265 

Black,  Mrs.  N.  P.,  reference  to  the  transfer  of  the  "Peters"  goats..  62 

Blackburn.  A.,  reference  to  clearing  brush  with  goats 360 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding 411,  433 

— Goats    raised    by,    commended 324 

— Statement  from,  concerning  his  Angoras .- 324 

Black   Hickory,   reference   to   clearing   with   goats 356 

Blood,    controlling    influence    of,    in    developing 186 

Boer  goat,  subject  to  scab  in  South  Africa 378 

— Reference    to 179 

Bokara,  gcats  of,  described  by  Jno.  S.  Harris 28 

Booth,  I.  J.,  reference  to  clearing  brush  land 356 

— Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 422,  433 

Boston,  reference  to  Angora  goats  in 47 

Soulier,    M.,    observations    on    cross-breeding 253 

— Reference  to  losses  of  pure-blooded  stock  in  Turkey 216 

— Reference  to  terms  applied  to  goats 265 

Box-wood,  reference  to  clearing  with  goats 366 

Boyden,  Jno.  A.,  one  of  the  early  breeders  in  North  Carolina 193 

Branding,  reference  to  the  practice  of 399 

Brannin,   S.   S.,   reference   to 304,  464 

— Reference  to  climate  of  Montana 93 

— Statement  from,   concerning  his  Angoras 339 

— Notes  from   on   practical   breeding 427.  434 

— Letter  from,  concerning  Rocky  Mountain  goat 241 

Brandt,    M.,    description   of   Cashmere   goat 27 

1 — Description   of   a   pure-bred   Angora 213 

Bradford,    England,    erection    of    Mohair   mills    in 123 

Brahmin    bull,    imported    by    Dr    Davis 206 

Breeding,  original  Angora  goats  only  bred  one  kid 42 

— Observations    on,    by    Col.   J.    Wash    Watts 54 

— Observations  on,  by  Col.   Richard  Peters 64 

— Notes  from  practical  breeders 403  to  435 


Index.  vii. 

PAC  E 

—Table    showing    results    of -iliP 

— Period,    reference    to 388 

— On  the  open  range Wl 

-  Number    of    days    customary 391 

— Seasons    for   different    sections -i'l-J    to    437 

—By  hand  388 

Bri  ish  Columbia.  a,da;jta,bil  ty  of,  in  raising'  An>:o.a.s 40 

British  Goat  bociety,  reference  to 288 

Broadbent,  Sir  Wm..  observations  of.  about  milk "289 

Bromley,  Mr.,  of  Utah,  refi.avnce  to 340 

Brown,  John,  reference  to  Col.  W.  D.  Parish 78 

— Remarks  of  concerning-  non-shedding-  Angora 226 

^Statement  from,  concerning  his  Angoras 315 

^Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 4i)2,  433 

Brown,  D.  J.,  remarks  of  concerning  Cashmere  goats 455 

— Reference  to  crossing  the  Cashmere  and  Angora '458 

— Description    of   the    Llama,    and    Alpaca li)7 

Brush,   serious  nature   of > 20 

—Reference  to   clearing...   !I8,    KH,    ln2,   351,   355,   356,   359,   360, 

361,;362,  365,  366,  367 

— Reference  to  the  cost  of  clearing 352 

—Reference  to   number  of  go?.ts   required 355.   35(>.   3(10 

— Equal  to  "peaches  and  cream,"  to  a  goat 21 

— Opinion  of  Dr.  Dayis,  relative  to  the  South 22 

—Observations  about,   by   Col.   Robt.   W.   Scott ()4 

— Goats  commonly  used  to   clear,   in   Oregon 84 

— Reference    to,    in    Illinois 94 

Bruner.  T.  K.,  reference  to  industry  in  North  Carolina 93 

Buck,    C.    M..    reference    to 343 

"Buck,"   reference   to   the  term 263,   265 

Bucks,  how  to  decide  on.   opinions  of  breeders 222 

— Reference    to    selecting 227.    228,    248 

■ — Kssential   features   in 249.    259 

— Cheap,    reference    to 260 


-Cost    of 260,    269, 


272 

—Proper  number   for  breeding 271,   272,   388.   391 

— Reference    to    bre  iding    season 388 

— When   to   remove   buck-kids   from   flock 388 

. — How  to  manage,   in  breeding 388 

— Keeping  of,   after  season   of  breedmg 391 

Buck-brush,   reference   to   clearing 347,   351,   355,   367 

Buck-eye,    reference    to    clearing 365 

Burdette-Coutts,     Baroness,    reference    to 288 

Burr-oak,    reference    to    clearing 348 

Butter,  from  goat's  milk 284 


A'iii.  Index. 

PAGE 

California,  notes  from  breeders  in 434 

— Reference  to  first   importation   of  Angoras   into 70 

Camp-rustler,    reference    to 393 

Camping    outfit    for    shepherds 272 

Canada,   adaptability   of,   to   the   Angora    goat 39 

Canada,  J.   H.,  reference  to 347 

Canada  thistle,  reference  to  clearing  with  goats 347 

Cannon's  dip,  as  a  remedy  for  screw  worms • 379 

Cantrell,    Ari,   introduction   of  Angoras  into   Oregon 84 

— Reference    to 327 

Cape   Colony,   first   introduction   of   Angoras,   into 35. 

— Places  export  duty  on  Angora  goats 105 

— Reference  to  increase  in  mohair  product 24(3 

Carbolic   dips,   for  lice   on   Angoras 383 

Carcass  of  Angora,  difference  in  size  of 212,  217 

—Reference    to 241,    259 

Carding  Mohair,   what   constitutes 142 

Care  and  management  of  Angoras,  chapter  on 384 

■Carolina,   North,  reference  to  Angora  industry  in 93 

Carolina,  South,  Dr.  Davis'  opinion  of  Mohair  grown  in 40 

— First  to  handle  the  Angora  in  the  United  States 52 

Cartledge,    E,   reference   to 294 

Cashmere  goat,   reference  to  by   Dr.   Hayes 27 

— Reference  to  by  Jno.   S.   Harris 86 

— Reference  to  by  several  committees 192 

—Weight   of  fur   produced 198,   202 

— In   possession   of  J.    C.    Hightower 198 

— Letter  from  Col.  Richard  Allen,  relative  to 199 

— Extracts    from    newspapers    relating   to 199,    201 

— Exchanged  by  Dr.   Davis  with  Earl  of  Derby 206 

— A    paper    on 455 

— Description   of   by    D.   J.    Browne 455 

— Descripton    of   by    S.    Holmes    Pegler 456 

— ^Dr.    Davis'    opinion    on 455 

'Cashmere,   wool,   reference  to  manufacture   of  in   England 457 

— Opinion   of   Sir   Samuel    Wilson   on 457 

— Experiments    in    crossing    with    Angora 458 

— Dr.   Davis'   experiments   in  crossing 459 

—Great   value    of 199,    201,    202,    203,    204 

—How    gathered 199,    202,    207 

Cashmere,    or    Angora 187,     197 

Cashmere    shawls,    reference    to    manufacture    of 125 

Cashmere  and  Thibet  wool 181,  196 

Castrating,  when,  and  how,  it  should  be  done  399 

Cattle  and   sheep,   receipt   of  for  33  years  in   Chicago 158 


Index.  ix. 

PAGE 

Coyote,  reference  to 39t) 

Cedar  brush,   reference   to   clearing 366 

Census  of  Angora  goats,   in  the  United   States 103 

— Letter  from   H.   M.    Williamson,   concerning 105 

— Letter   from    Wm.    R.    Payne,    concerning ...    103 

Chamberlain,    T.    L.,    reference   to 34:^) 

Chapparell,    black,    reference    to    clearing oi  i 

Cheap  bucks,  reference  to 200 

Cheese,    reference    to 284 

Chew,    R.    B.,    reference    to 299 

Chenery,  Winthrop  W.,  experience  with -Angoras  in  Massachusetts.  .     70 

"Chenery"   goats,   reference  to 331,  442 

Cherry,   brush,   reference   to   clearing 356,   360,   361 

Chicago   Live   Stock    Commission    Co.,    letter   from 156 

Chicago  meat  packers  unwilling  to  buy  Angoras 114 

Chilton,  Jos.   R.,   committee  report  on      Davis"   goats 191 

Chinese    goat    skin    rugs 168 

Chute   for  cutting  out  goats,   how  to   make 393 

—System  used  by  W.  G.  Hughes 435 

Circassian    goat,    reference    to 455 

Citus,    small,    reference    to    clearing 361 

Claggett,  W.  D.,  observations  on  clearing  brush 361 

— Statement    from    concerning   his    Angoras 323 

— Notes    from,    on    practical    breeding 4l3,    433 

*'Claridges   Farmer,"  extract  from 300 

Claridge,    R.    R.,    reference   to 76 

Clearing  brush  land,  reference  to -351.  355-6,  359  to  362,  36-j  to  367 

—Estimate  of  cost  of 352,  359,  367,  368,  269 

—Number  of  goats  required 355,  356,  .359,  360,  361,  366.  371 

—Length   of  time   required.' 361,   862,   365 

Cleveland,   Hon.   Grover,   remcu/es  tarif?  on   Mohair 162 

■Climate  of  United  States,  adaptibility  of,  to  the  Angora  goat 47 

Climatic    influence   on    goats 182,    185,    191,    381 

Clipping-  machines,    reference    to 395 

"Coarse    Mohair,"    what    constitutes 142 

Coast  Mohair  Association,  reference  to 323 

Cockle-burr,    reference   to    clearing 371 

Colorado,    reference    to 94,    294.    302 

Colored    Mohair,    reference    to 396 

"Colored  kids,  reference  to  by  practical   breeders 403  to  435 

Colored    Angoras    in    Turkey,    reference    to 178 

■'Combing    Mohair,"    what    constitutes 141 

Combination   sale   of   Angora   goats,    reference   to 447 

— Advantages    of    the    system 448 

'Commercial    features    of   tlie    industry 133 


X.  hidcx. 

PAUB 

Committee   reports   on   "Davis"    goats IHl.    I'-'i'.    198 

Conolly,   Capt.,   description  of  manner  v)i   manufacturing   .Mohair....    ll.s 

— Reference    to "232 

Conklin  Bros.,  letter  from   223 

— Statement  from  conceiniuy  their  Angoras 3:8 

—Reference  to  328,  331,  442 

— ivotes  from,  on  practical   oreeding 414.  434 

— Reference    to    clearing    brush    land •'■i)2 

Connecticut,    reference    to    Angoras    in 0(5 

— Reference  to  area  adapted  to   Angoras  in 297 

— Notes    from    breeders    in 135 

Constantinople  merchants,  try  to  prevent  export  of  Angora  go.ds    .     37 

Consumption,    reference    to    disease ...   289 

Cooper's  dip,  recommended  for  lice  on  Angoras 383 

— Reference   to   by   breeders 422.    4-J(i 

"Country    Gentleman,"    extract    from    in    185G 119 

■ — ^Extract  from   concerning  importation   of  Price   Maurice 50 

Corn,  as  a  feed  for  fattening  Angoras 375 

Corrals,    when    necessary ; 392 

— How    to    construct 393 

— How    much    to    feed 375 

Cost  of  bucks,   reference   to 260 

Cost  of  keeping  Angoras,   opinions   from   breeders 4n3  to  435 

Cotton   seed   meal,   and   hulls,   as   a   fattening   feed 374 

— How    much    to    feed 375 

Crab-apple  brush,  reference  to  clearing 351,  367 

Cronch,  Col.   B.   L.,  letter  from 320 

— Remarks    on    non-shedding    Angoras 228 

— Reference   to   clearing  brush   land 371 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding -''*>.  433 

— Reference  to  tariff  on  goats,   and   ;\Iohair 406 

Cross-breeding,    extract    from    Schreiner    on 16 

—Observations   of"  Col.   J.    Wash   Watts   on 54 

— In  Asia  Minor,  encouraged  by  demand  for  ?^Iohair 123 

— Dr.  J.   B.  Davis'  first  experiments 1  <  7 

— Col.    Richard   Peters'   experience   \\  ith 177 

—In  Turkey 1"8 

— In    oouth    Africa 179,    lo7 

— Dr.  Davis'  later  experience 188 

— Report   of   Dr.   Jno.    Bachman   on 195 

—Opinion  of  Col.   Robt.   W.   Scott  on 2o7 

—Opinion  of  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt  on '. 211 

— Statement  concerning,  by  M.  Tchihatchefif 216 

Cross-breeding,    chapter    on 2-:'3 

Reference  to,   by   Dr.   Hayes    2 '5 


Index.  xi. 

PACK 

—Reference   to 246,   247,   249,    254 

• — In    Turkey,    reference    to 253 

Culling  out  old  goats,  reference  to   390 

Cuniberbatch,  H.  A.,  description  of  Province  of  Angora 31 

Cunimings,    Dr.,    reference   to 328 

Currie,  Sir  Philip,  permit  granted,  to  export  Angoras 36 

Dakota,   North,  reference  to  Angora  goat  industry  in 93 

— South,  reference  to  Angora  goat  industry  in 93 

— Reference   to 3(»2 

Davenport,   Col.   B.,  introduces  Angoras  in  Virginia 66 

Davis,  Dr.  J.  B.,  opinion  concerning  brush  land  in  the  South 22 

— First  to  import  Cashmere  Goals  to  the  United  States 34 

— Portrait    of 44 

— Biographical    sketch    of 45 

— Opinion  concerning  stock  best  adapted  to  the  South 46 

— Opinion  concerning  raising  oi  Mohair  in  the  United  States...     46 

— Sale  of  pure-breeds  to  Col.  Richard  Peters 47 

— First  experiment  with  crossing  on  common  goats 52.   177 

— Concerning  improvement  in  Cashmere  goats   187 

— Reference   to    Cashmere    goats 455,  459 

Davis,    Col.    Zimmerman,    letter   from 46 

— Letter   concerning   the   "Davis"    goats l^o 

"Davis"   goats,   reference  to 313,  343,  442,   459 

— Reports   on,   by   committees 191,    192,    195 

—Not  from   Angora 200,   203 

— Microscopic  examination  of  fleece  of 2U0 

^Testimony  of  his  daughter  as  to  character  of 205 

"Davis   Cashmere   goats,"   reference   to 197,    199  . 

Darwin,  Prof.  Charles,  on  origin  of  goats 29 

— Extract  from   concerning  breeding,   etc 236,   239 

DeMoville,   John   A.,   reference  to 300 

Derby,  Earl  of,  introduction  of  Angora  goats  into  England 34 

— Exchange  made  with  Dr.  J.   B.   Davis  for  Cashmeres 206 

Devine,  J.   P.,  reference  to  by  Col.  W.  W.   Haupt 76 

— Observations  of  respecting  climate  of  Texas 77 

"Devine"   goats,   reference   to 319,   320,   343,   442 

Diehl.  Hon.   Israel   H.,  concerning  climate  of  the  United  States....     47 

— Reference  to  importation   of  Angoras  in   1870 49 

— Reference  to  early  breeders  in  the   United   States 67 

— Description  of  spinning  ^lohair  in  Turkey 118 

— Reference    to    the    manufacture    of    Mohair 124 

— Commissioned    to    visit    Asia    Minor 124 

— Reference    to    different   types    of   Angoras 181 


xii.  Index. 

PAGE 

— Opinion   of   as   to   pure-bred    Angoras 215 

- — Reference    to 235 

— Reference  to   training  and   working   goats 281 

— Reference    to    milking    goats 281 

— Reference   to   cheese,   and   butter,    from    goats 284' 

Diehl   and   Brown,   importation   of 48,   235 

— Reference  to  character  of  goats  imported 4!) 

"Diehl   and    Brown,"    goats,    reference   to 442 

Dipping  Angora  goats,   reference  to 374,   382,   383 

— Opinions   of  breeders,    on 402   to   435 

Dipping   vat,    where    to    locate,    and    how    to    construct 393 

Dips,     kinds    recommended 383 

Diseased    cows    condemned    in    Illinois    288 

Diseases,    freedom   from   in   Angora   goats 195,   367,    355 

- — Experience  of  Chas.   S.   Brown   in   New   York 09 

— Chapter    on 370 

— Mr.   Tj'son's  experience    115 

— Reported    in    Oregon 380 

— Dr.    M.    Barrett's    experience 07 

— Dr.   Withycombe's  opinion    380 

— Dr.     McLeanfs    opinion 381 

— Experience    of   practical    breeders 4ii2    to    435 

Dissler,    C,   notes   from   on   practical   breeding 405,    433 

Docking,     reference    to 390 

Dodge.  J.   R..   reference  to  importation  by  Price   ]\Iauriee 5n 

Does,    how    to    select 248 

— When  to  cull  out  of  breeding  flock 390 

— That  do  not  own  their  kids,  how  to  manage  397 

Doe   kids,   when   to   begin   breeding 388 

Doe,    reference    to    term 203,    205 

Dogs,  reference  to 195,  200,  355,  387,  403,  41C),   42n 

— Not   advisable   to   permit   ail    herders   to   use 392 

— Raised  by  a  doe  very  useful 392,  418 

— Experience    of    Wm.    Richter    with 410 

— Experience   of   E.    R.   Williams,    with 418 

Dogwood   brush,   reference   to   clearing    355,  3(50 

Doughter  &  Luttrell.  remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras 227 

— Statement   from   concerning   their   Angora    goats 320 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding 4il5,  433 

Dougherty,    L.    B.,    experience    with    Angoras 420 

Dowell,    O.,   statement   from   concerning   his   Angoras 323 

— Reference    to    clearing   up    brush 359 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding 410,   433 

Dressendorfer,    George,    reference    to 343 


Index.  xiii. 

PAGE 

Dunison,  James   H.,   statement  from  concerning  his  goats 328 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 417,  434 

Dye,  Hon.   Franklin,  concerning  land  in  New  Jersey 298 

Eamen,  T.   F.,  reference  to 446,  448 

Tjarly,    J.    B.,    reference    to 339 

— Associates   with   Jno.    S.    Harris 92 

Ears  of  the  Angora,  referred  to  by  J.   S.   Harris 91 

— Remarks    on    by    Mr.    Schreiner 187 

— Remarks   on  by   Dr.   Jno.    Bachman 196 

— Reference   to   style   of 259 

—Reference  to 213,  214,  215,  216,  259 

"Eastern   Province   Herald,"   extract   from 36 

Edwards,  Hon.  A.  H.,  letter  from  concerning  brush  clearing 348 

— Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 422,    433 

Elberst,    B.    F.,    reference    to 102,    446,    448 

Elder  brush,   reference  to  clearing 355,  360,  361 

Elder   ash,    reference    to    clearing 366 

Elliott,  W.  H.,  committee  report,  on  "Davis"  goats 191 

Elm  brush,    reference    to    clearing 356 

Emnott,    Jno.    M.,    reference    to 138 

England,   first   introduction   of   Angoras   into 34 

Eutichedes,  A.,  importation  of  Angoras  into  the  United  States 49 

—Reference   to 323,    328 

—Reference    to 378,  422 

Evans,  J.  B.,  reference  to  Angoras  owned  by 180 

Evans,  Tom  S.,  remarks  concerning  non-shedding  Angoras 227 

— Statement  from  concerning  his  Angoras 320 

— Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 408,   433 

"Ewe,"  reference  to  term  as  applied  to  goats 263,  265 

'"Examiner."   of   Gallatin.    Tenn.,    extract   from    203 

Expense    of   keeping    goats 269,    272,    273 

Experiments   in  acclimating  the    Llama   ?nd   Alpaca 473 

Exportation  of  Angoras  prohibited  in  Turkey 36 

Failure  of  industry  in  Missouri,  reference  to ()S 

Farms  abandoned,  reference  to 295,  296 

Farr   Alpaca    Co.,    reference    to 128 

Faure,   Sir   P.,   opposes   Cape   Colony  export  duty 108 

Feathcrstone.   R.,  reference  to  Angoras  bred  by 180 

Eeeding  Angora  goats,  reference  to  by  E.  R.  Johns   155 

— For   market 374,  375 

— During   the   winter 389 

— Reference  to  by  practical  breeders 402  to  435 


xiv.  Index. 

PAGE 

heeding  milch  goats,  reference  to 'ISi] 

Fences,  reference  to  by  Col.  Robt.  W.  Scott 04 

—Reference   to 351,   308.   387 

— Reference  to.  by  ]iractic;;l  breeders    40"2  to  435 

Forn  brush,    reference   to   clearing otiO,    3()1.    30".' 

Fibre   of   moliair.   difference   in    180 

Fiji   Islands,    first    introduction    into 35 

Fink  &  Co..  reference  to  importation  from  South  Africa 51 

Fink,  Henry,  statement  from  about  his  Angoras .   31i) 

— Notes    from,    on    practical    breedinp;    404  to  433 

"Fink    goats,"    reference   to    3-JO 

Fir  brush,    reference   to    clearing 350 

Finnegan,  John  &  Co..  reference  to 138 

Fiske,   L.    S.    &   Co.,   reference   to 138 

Fleeces,  weight  of  original  goats  imported  by  Harris   !*1 

— ^Average    weight    of    in    different    States l04 

—Classification   of   in    different    S;ateb In4 

— Difference    in    Turkey 187 

— Difference    in    S^uth    Africa 18'( 

— Value    of    early    American    WTl 

— Reference    to    by    Dr.    John    Bachman 1!I7 

— Of   Cashmere    goat,    weight   of 2(iO,    2o2 

— Of  pure  Angoras,   opinions  on "213.   21(5 

—Reference    to 229,    230.    25G 

— Of    breeding    sire 25!) 

— Weight    of,    reference    to 2G7 

Flesh  of  Angoras,   superior  to   mutton    105 

Flint  &  Sargent,  importation  into  California 83 

t  locks,  size  of  in  Oregon 84 

— Proper   number  of  goats   for    300 

— Mixed,    objection    to 300 

— Reference  to  sizes,   by  practical   .jrteders 402  to  435 

Food,   influence  of,   in  developing  animals 180 

Foot-rot,    reference    to 370 

— Remedy  for 379 

— Reference  to  by   Wm.   M.   Landrum 403 

— Reference  to  by  Jno.  M.  Arnold 404 

Foreman,    C.    W.,    reference   to 328 

Formula    for    dressing    Angora    skins 485 

Foster   R.   C,   concerning  Davis"   Cashmere   goats 100 

Fox  ears,   reference   to 259 

France,    first   introduction    of   Angoras    into 34 

Franz,    Henry,    reference    to 3--3 


Index.  XV. 

PACK 

Fuchs.   H.  T.,   statement  from  about  his  Angoras 319 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breediMg 408,  433 

— Opinion    concerning    non-shedding    Angoras    225 

Full-blood    Angoras,    reference    to 212 

— Use  of,  injured  the  industry  at  the  start    110 

Full-blood  vs.  pure-bred   248,  248,  250,  251,  254,  255,  256 

Fulmer,   F.    S.,   experience   in   Virginia 66 

Furs,    made   out   of   goat   skins 148 

Fur.   from    Cashmere   goat,   how   gathered 199,   202,    207 

Galbraith,   H.   W.,  statement  from  about  his  Angoras 319 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding 403,  433 

Garrett.  J.   W.,   statement  from,   about   his   Angoras 320 

— Notes    from    on    practical    breeding 407,  433 

Garnett,    L.    G.,   reference   to 85 

Garrard,   W.   C,   reference  to  Angoras  in   Illinois 94 

Garst,    Frank,    reference   to 85,   320,  343 

— Letter  from  giving  his  experience  with  Angoras 436 

Garvin.  Hon.  J.  B.,  letter  from  concerning  land  in  West  Virginia..  299 

Gatherall,  Garvin,  on  climatic  influence  in  Turkey 182 

Gatherall,  George,  letter  concerning  shipment  to  South  Africa  in  1895  3G 

— Reference    to    446 

— Reference   to   cross-breeding   in   Turkey 253 

Georgia,   reference   to  Angoras   in 47 

— Second   State   to   handle   Angora   goats 55 

• — Reference   to   area   in   adapted   to    goats 303 

Geredah  Angoras,  imported  by  Col.   Richard  Peters 49 

Gestation,  period  of,  in  Angora  goats 388 

Goats,    Bible    testimony    concerning 25 

—Trained  to  work 281 

— Greek   authors'    testimony    concerning 26 

—Tariff  on 165 

Goe,  General  J.    S.,   experience   in   Pennsylvania 69 

Gohl,   Hon.  T.   S.,  letter  from  about  land  in   Connecticut 297 

Goodrich,  Charles  J.,  committee  report  on  "'Davis"  goats 192 

Gordan,  C.  F.,  reference  to  Angoras  n  Fiji  Islands 35 

Grades  of  Mohair,  reference  to 141 

— Should  be  made  standard 141,  153 

—In   Turkey    142 

Grading  up  Angoras,   experience  of  J.   C.   P.    ^^IcLendon    435 

Grady,   Hon.   Henry  W.,  interview  with  Col.   Peters 61 

Graves,  E..  notes  from  on  practical  breedmg 426,  434 

Gray  &   Gilmore.   importation   of  Angoras   into   California 83 

Greasewood    brush,    reference    to    clearing 366 


xvi.  Index. 

PAGE 

Green   (W.   W.)    goats,   reference  to 328 

"Grubs."    reference    to    cleaning 348 

Guadalupe    Island,    reference   to.    by    Dr.    Hayes 38 

— Reference  to  raising  goats  on    38,  230 

Gunzer  Bros.,  reference  to  goats  of   340 

Hair  of   the    goat,    Bible   testimony,    concerning 25 

— Greek   Authors,    testimony    concerning    2G 

Hair  of  the  Angora,  will  not  mix  with  common  goat  hair  174 

Hair,    red    camels.'    reference    to    191 

Hair,  two  kinds  on  one  Angora 191,  198,  207,  208 

— Opinions  of  breeders  about    222 

— Microscopic   examination   of 2Ul 

— Curly,   indication   of  purity 213,   214 

Hall,   Wm.,   purchases   Butteriield   &   Son's   Angoras    89 

Hamilton.  James  R..   letter  concerning  feeding  Angoras 374 

— Notes    from,    on    practical    breeding 428,    435 

Hamilton,   Hon.  John,  letter  from  about  lands  in   Pennsylvania....   297 

Hamilton,  Jamess  R.,  letter  concerning  feeding  Angoras   374 

Hand-breedmg,    reference   to 388 

Hard-hack  brush,   reference  to   cleaning    3(30 

Hardy,    Col.    Wm.,   introduces   Angora   goats   into   Arizona 93 

Harland,    Wm.,    reference    to 328 

Harper,    Ira,    statement   about   his   Angoras 339 

— Notes   from   on  practical  breeding 424,   434 

Harris,  John  S..  opinion  as  to  origin  of  Angoras 29 

— Account   of  journey   into    Cashmere 28 

— Reference  to  sample  of  22-inch  Mohair 39 

— Reference  to   Diehl   &   Brown   importaton 49 

— Reference  to   exports  of  Angoras   from  Turkey 78 

— Biographical    sketch    of 86 

— Reference    to    non-shedding    Angoras 230 

— Concerning   Idaho   as   a   goat   country 302 

— Statement    from    concerning    his    Angoras 339 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding 427,  434 

■'Harris,"  goats,  reference  to 310.  331,  332,  442 

Harris   &   Baylor  goats,   reference  to 319,   423 

Harris   &   Hall,   importation   of 49,     83 

Hassler,  J.  M.,  statement  about  his  Angoras 327 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding 411,  433 

Hatcher,  Wm.,   reference  to  feeding  Angoras 382 

Haupt,  Col.  W.  W.,  biographical  sketch  of 71 

— Letter    referring    to    cross-breeding 211 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras 228 


Index.  xvii. 

PAGE 

— Reference    to    cross-breeds 254,    255 

— Letter  from  concerning  W.   G.   Hughes'  goats 313 

— Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 405,   433 

"Haupt"    goats,    reference    to 31C,    442 

Hawley,  J.    H.,  reference  to  clearing  land 360 

—Statement    from    about    his    Angoras 323 

— Notes    from    on    practical    breeding 412,    433 

Hayes,  Dr.  J.   L.,  opinion  concerning  introduction  of  Angoras  into 

Asia    ]\Iinor 27 

— Opinion    of,    concerning    Cashmeres    27 

—Opinion  why  the  industry  did  not  succeed  in  the  United  States  109 

— Reference    to    Angoras    in    Australia 110 

— Reference    to    manufacture    of    Mohair 121 

— Reference    to    the    applicaton    of    Mohair 126 

- — Reference   to   the   application   of   skins   for  rugs 127 

— Reference    to    pure-bred    Angoras 213 

— Extract    from    book    of 244 

• — Reference    to    cross-breeding 255 

— Reference  to  the  Alpaca  and   its   congeners 473 

Hazel  brush,  reference  to  clearing.  .351,  355,  356,  359,  360,  361,  365,  368 

Head,  Dr.  James  M.,  reference  to  goat  raised  by 203 

Head  of  the  Angora  goat,  opinions  about 213,  214,  215,  216 

Heever,  Hon.  Van  den,  supports  export  duty  in  South  Africa 107 

Henderson,    Col.,    first    importation    to    Cape    Colony 35 

Herding    goats,    cost    of 269,    273 

— Opinions   from    practical   breeders 402   to   435 

— Loose,    reference    to 392 

— How    it    should    be    done 391 

Herder's    outfit,    reference    to 272,    394 

—Rations    272,   394 

Hermans,   E.   J.,   letter  concerning  land   in   Washington 301 

Hickory    brush,    reference    to    clearing 355,    356,    367 

— Black,    reference    to    clearing 356 

Hightower,  J.  C,  statement  from  about  his  Angoras 332 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras   229,  230 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding 419,   434 

— Reference  to  Angoras  with  two  coats  of  hair   198 

Hill,    O.    D.,    reference    to 300 

— Statement    from    about    his    Angoras 344 

— Notes  from   on  practical   breeding 430,   435 

— Reference    to    clearing    brush ■  370 

Hill,  Albert  J.,   letter   from   concerning   British   Columbia 40 

Hoag,  Capt.  J.  Murray,  letter  from 102 

— Reference    to    clearing    brush    land 355 


Indc 


PAGE 

Hockley.    Mr.,   opposes   export   duty   in   South    Africa 108 

Hoerle.   G.  A.,  reference  to  importation  by  Fink  &  Co ol 

— Reference   to   Angoras   with   two   kinds   of   hair 208 

— Opinion   of,   as  to  point  of  a  pure-breed "ilo 

• — Reference   to   non-shedding   Angoras "224 

Hogs,  in  same  pasture  with  goats 387 

Holder,  J.  F..  statement  about  his  Angoras   33!) 

— Notes   from   concerning  practical   breeding 423,  434 

Hottins.  S.  B..  certificate  of  merit  about  Dr.  Standley  mohair IGI 

Holt,  Lafayette,  referring  to  Angoras  in  North  Carolina 93 

— Statement  about  his  Angora  goats 344 

— Reference    to    clearing   brush    land    3()!) 

— Notes    from    on    practical    breeding 431.    43-') 

Hooker,   John    L..    reference  to 343 

Horn.   C.   S..   reference  to  clearing  brush   land 360 

— Reference    to    Angoras    in    Illinois ,  . .  .     i>4 

Horn.  Wm..   statement  about  his  Angora  goats 330 

--Notes   from   on   practical   breeding 424,    434 

Horns  of  Angoras 187,  212,  213.  214,  215,  21tJ.  217,  259,  291 

Hornless  Angoras,  concerning  buck  imported 40 

—Reference  to  by  S.  S.  McKibben l02 

—Reference  to 21G.  221-3.  225-8.  231-3.  33(3 

Houck.  Geo.  A.,  concerning  industry  in  Oregon 84 

— Remarks   on   non-shedding  Angoras 228 

— Statement  from,  about  his  Angoras 327 

— Reference  to   clearing  land 3()i( 

— Notes   from,    on   practical   breeding    4(t0.  433 

"Houck"  goats,  reference  to 323 

Hughes,  W.   G.,  concerning  advantages  in  Tennessee 300 

— Statement  from,  about  his  Angora 313 

— Letter  from,  on  practical  breeding 437 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angora 22() 

"Hughes"  goats,   reference  to 327 

Hull,  John,  reference  to 328 

Humphrey,  Wm.,  reference  to  sheep  industry 442 

Hunter,  J.  D.,  Notes  from  on  practical  breeding 408,  433 

Hutchins  &  Co..  reference  to 138 

Ibex,  a  description  of 481 

Idaho,  reference  to SG.  294,  302 

Illinois,  reference  to  Angoras  in 47 

— Reference   to    industry   now 04 

Importing  Angora  goats — how  it  may  be  done 445 

— Opinons  of  breeders  on   402  to  435 


Indc.y 


PAGE 

Importations   of   Angora   goats   into   the    United    States 48,   49,  51 

Importations   from   South  Africa 51 

Incidental,    or   by-products   of   Angora    goats 27G 

Increase,   estimate   in  breeding,   by   Sir   Sam's   Wilson 112 

Increase,    percentage   of,    opinions   of   breeders    402  to  435 

In-breeding,    reference   to 259 

Indiana,  reference  to  Angora  goats  in 95 

Indian  .Territory,  notes  from  breeders  in 435 

Industry  in  Angora,  why  it  has  been  so  backward 109 

— Dr.  Hayes'  opinion  why  it  has  not  grown 109 

Index 489 

Iowa  State  fair,  the  system  of,  commended 18 

Iowa,  reference  to  Angoras  in.  by  Hon.  I.  H.  Diehl 18 

— Notes  from  breeders   in 433 

— Reference  to  industry  at  the  present  time QQ 

Ivy,  and  laurel,  injurious  to  Angoras 55 

"James'  History  of  Worsted  Manufacture,"  extract  from  122 

Japan  clover,  observations  of  Col.  J.  Wash  Watts 54 

Jarvis,  William,  reference  to  sheep  industry 442 

Jastremski.   Hon.    Leon,   letter  from,   about   Louisiana 301 

Jaubert,  Mons.,  concerning  Cashmere  goats  in  France 458 

Jewett,   Hon.   Wm.  J.,   concerning  Angoras   in  Turkey 445 

Johns,  A.  L..  letter  from,  about  Angoras  in  stock  yards 155 

Johnson,  O.  O.,  reference  to  Angoras  in  North  Dakota 93 

Johnson,   R.    C.   reference   to   Angoras   in    Kansas 94 

- — Statement    from,    concerning    his    Angoras    340 

— Reference    to    clearing   brush    land    366 

— Reference    to    fattening   Angoras    for    market 375 

— Notes    from,    on    practical    breeding     429,  435 

— Connection  with  Angora  Goat  Breeders  Asssociation 446,  448 

Johnson,  R.  P.,  committee  report  on  "Davis"  goats 192 

Johnson,  Cuthbert  W.,  reference  to  milking 284 

Kansas,  reference  to  Angoras  in   47,  94 

— Notes  from  breeders  in   435 

Kemp,  reference  to 211,  227,  229,  230,  248,  250,  256 

Kentucky,   reference   to   Angoras   in 47 

Kennedy.  John,  letter  from,  concerning  non-shedding  Angoras 231 

Kennedy,  Chas.  F.,  letter  from,  about  Angoras  in  Indiana 95 

Kids,  two  at  a  birth  due  to  crossing 187 

— Reference  to,  by  Dr.  John   Bachman    196 

— That  do  not  shed  first  hair   222 

—Number  at  a  birth 388 

— When  they  should  come    388 


XX.  Index. 

PAGE 

— Reference  to  weaning   390 

— Reference  to  marking  with  paint   397 

— Twins,   how  to   manage    397 

— Reference  to  staking   397,  4"29 

— Reference  to  penning   397,  4"29- 

— When  to  be  allowed  to  go  with  Hock   397 

— Estimate  of  increase   of,   by  breeders    4u2  to  43.") 

— Crooked   and   deformed 41G,  418 

"Kid,"    reference    to    term 263,  "iijo 

Kid  Skin,   reference  to    276- 

Kidding  season,  reference  to 384 

— Hogs  should  be  removed  from  pasture   387 

— How  to  regulate  work  during 396 

—Reference  to,  by  Col.   Robt.  W.   Scott   64 

— Original    Angora,    only   had   one    42 

Kitching  &  Bicknell,  reference  to   138,  338 

Knapp,   B.   S.,   reference  to 343 

lS.oiner,  Hon.  Geo.  W.,  letter  from  concerning  land  in  ^'irginia 299 

"Kurd"  goat,  Peglar's  description  of   26 

— Reference  to,  by  M.  Boulier  253,  2o4 

— Crossing  with  the  Angora   42,  178 

Kypelogion,  George,  reference  to  446 

Lace    Trimming,    reference    to    279 

Lamp  mats,  reference  to   279 

Landrum,  Wm.  M.,  reference  to  Guadalupe  Island  38 

• — Shears  an  Angora  having  22-inch  mohair  39 

— Reference    to    Chenery    importations    48 

— Reference  to  Diehl  &  Brown  importation   49 

— Reference  to  A.   Eutichides  importation    49 

— Reference  to   importation  of  Geredah   goats    49 

— Reference  to   Harris  &  Hall   importation    49 

— Biographical   sketch  of   79 

— Remarks    on    non-shedding   Angoras    227 

—Reference   to    230,  232 

— Reference    to    hornless    Angoras    233 

— Reference  to  Asiatc  scab   378 

— Statement  from,  concerning  his  Angoras    316 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 4<'3,  433 

"Landrum"  goats,  reference  to  31(>,  319,  320.  324,  332,  339,  423,  442 

Landrum   &   Butterficld,   reference  to 327 

Landrum  &  Rodgers.  reference  to   327 

Laurel,  mountain,   reference  to    '>60,   365,  366 

Laurel,  poison,  reference  to   369 

Laurel  and  Ivy,  reference  to 55 


Index.  xxi. 

PAGB  ■ 

Lea.  Overton,   reference  to    •^'"* 

Leafe,  R.  B.,  first  introduction  of  Angoras  on  Fiji  Islands  35 

Lee,  Dr.  R.  J.,  reference  to  goat's  milk --'O 

Lee,  C.  G.,  opposition  to  export  duty  in  South  Africa  lOG 

— Reference  to  Angora  goat  owned  bj'   1^1 

Ledger.   Charles,   reference  to  Llama  and  Alpaca    4T.t 

Lice,  on  Angoras,  reference  to 374,  382 

— Dippng  for,  opinions  of  breeders   4U"2  to  485 

Lime  and  Sulphur,  reference  to 378,  883- 

Linde,  J.  C.  Sz  Co..  reference  to 138 

Linton.  R.  J.,  statement  from,  about  his  .Angoras 332 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  U8,  484 

Lippincut,  A.,  statement  from,  about  his  Angoras 343' 

— Reference   to   clearing   brush    367 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  426,  434 

Llama    shawls,    reference   to 127 

Llama  and  Alpaca,   description   of   467 

Lobo,    reference    to    399' 

London  wool  market,  reference  to 153 

Lop  ears,   reference   to    259 

Losses,    reference    to 268 

— Estimates  of  by  practical  breeders   402  to  435 

Louisiana,  reference  to  Angora  goats  in   96 

— Reference  to  lands  in 301 

Lowry.  R.  H.,  one  of  the  early  breeders  in  Texas 76 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras  228 

—Statement  about  his  Angora  goats   319" 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  4o7,  433 

Luckie,  VV.  F.,  reference  to  non-shedding  bucks  224 

Limg  sickness,  reference  to 376 

Maasdorp,  Hon.  G.  H.,  opposes  export  duty  in  South  .Africa   .  ..  .106,  107 

Madrone  saplings,  reference  to   365 

Maine,  reference  to  Angoras  in   95 

- — Number  of  mohair  mills   in 130 

— Reference  to  area  in,  suitable  for  Angoras 295,  303 

Maltese   goats,   reference  to    243,  247,  255,  436 

Mange,   reference   to 378 

Manufacture  of  mohair,  in  Asia  Minor 117 

—Described  by  Flon.  Israel  H.  Diehl  118 

— Reference  to,  by  Dr.  J.  L.  Hayes   121 

—Reference   to,    in    England    1-1 

—In  the  United  States    1-^^ 

— In  the  Unted  States,  encouraged  by  Hon.  Isaac  Newton 124 

— Application    of   products    l-'> 


xxii.  Index. 

PAGE 

Manure,   reference   to 286,  355 

Manzanita  brush,  reference  to 365 

"Mapes.  James  J.,  committee  report  on  "Davis"  goats 19-.^ 

Maple,   brush,   reference   to    365,  3()6 

— Fine,   reference  to    359,  361 

^larket,    concentrating    on    one 151 

Marking  kids,  with  paint 397 

— How    done     399 

—To  tell  age  of  399 

—To  tell   sex  of    399 

Marshall,   H.   B.,   reference  to  non-shedding  Angoras 228 

— Notes  from,   on  practical   breeding    407,  433 

Maryland,  reference  to  Angora  goats  in 47 

— Reference  to  Angora  goats  in.  by  Hon.   Geo.  A.   Porter 69 

— Reference  to  lands  adapted  to  goats  in 299 

Massachusetts,  reference  to  Angoras  in  47 

— Experience  in,  by  W.  W.   Chenery   70 

— Extract  from  newspaper  concerning  abandoned   farms  in 70 

— Number  of  mohair  mills   in 130 

— Reference  to  lands,  suitable  for  Angoras   297 

Masters,   Mr.,   statement  from,   about  his  Angoras 324 

— Notes  from,   on   practical  breeding    412,  433 

Masters.  Rev.  C.  B..  reference  to   324 

Mastin.  T.  H..  reference  to   446,  448 

Matchings,  reference  to   143 

Maugher,  M.,  letter  concerning  Jno.  S.  Harris 90 

Maurice,  Price,  reference  to  importations  by 50 

Maxwell   land   grant   farm,   reference   to 85,  436 

Maze,  E..  statement  from,  about  his  Angoras  331 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding  414,  433 

— Reference  to   clearing  brush    362 

Meat  of  the  Angora,  opinion  of  Dr.  Barrett  (>7 

— Superior   to    Mutton    154 

— Opinion  of  Dr.  Jno.   Bachman    155 

— Report  of  committee   on    195 

— Reference  to   276 

Estimated   value    of    272 

Mesquite  tree,  reference  to  370,  371 

Mexican  goats,  reference  to  230,  243,  247,  268,  271 

Michigan,  reference  to  Angoras  in   47 

— Reference  to  industry  at  present  94 

"Midland  News  and  Karoo  Farmer,"  extract  from  l"i; 

Milk  of  goats,  reference  to,  by  Col.  J.  Wash.  Watts  55 

— Great  benefit  of,   with  children 289,  290 


Index.  -xxiii. 

PAGE 

— Analysis   of    '2Sb 

Milking    qualites     2Sl.  284,  287.  288.  425 

Miles,  T.  Glome,  introduces  Angoras  into  Montana  i'S 

— Statement  from,  about  his  Angoras  33!) 

—Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding    A2~.  434 

Miller  &  Sibley,  reference  to  clearing  brush 3(i!i 

Minnesota,  reference  to  Angoras  in   47.  03.  3fi8 

— Notes  from  Breeders  in   434 

Missouri,  notes  from  breeders  in 434 

— Reference  to  Angoras  in 47 

— Failure   of   industry   in,    cause   of Ih^ 

— Present  condition  of  industry  in   (i8 

Mississippi,   reference  to  Angoras   in    i'lj 

Mohair,  amount  consumed  in  the  world   13>* 

— Advantages  of  United  States  climate  in  producing 13!l 

— Estimated  amount  of,  required  by  railroads  for  seats 14<> 

— How   it   is   graded    14<>,  141 

— Necessity  for  a  national   standard  grade 141 

— How  to  determine  value  of   143 

— How  manipulated  by   manufacturer    1"2S.  143 

— Amount  of  noilage  in  Turkish   143 

— Amount  of  noilage  in  United  States 143 

— Very  coarse,  used  for  dolls'  hair,  wigs,  etc 143 

— Prices  of,  in  England  since  18.56 144 

— How  to  prepare  for  market 44.") 

— Overproduction    of    liKi 

— Tanff  on   lill 

— Spinning  capacity  of,  compared  with  wool   '. Iii4 

— Difference    in    180,  181.  IXl 

— Length  of.  can  be  increased  by  breeding 174 

— Climatic    influence    on    182,  185.  1!)1 

— Growing  districts  in  Asia   Minor,  table   183 

— Difiference   in   lengths   of    212,  214.  21o 

— Difference    in    color     212 

— First  shipment  from  Gape  Golony  3G 

— Superiority   of  American    47 

— Certificate  of  merit  concerning  Iowa  mohair Inl 

— Amount  produced  in  different  States    1<)4 

— Manufacture  of,  in  Asia  Minor   117 

— Not  allowed  to  be  exported  from  Asia  Minor  117 

— When  first  shipped  into  England  121 

— How  the  product  was  encouraged  in  Turkey 123 

— Products    of 12ti 

—Great   durability   of   products    12.^ 


Index. 


PAGE 

— Amount  consumed  in  the  United  States  130,  131 

—Imports  into  the  United  States  from  1890  to  1894 130 

—Where  to  sell    136,  138 

— Value  of,  governed  by  fashions   136,  130 

— Table  of  imports  into  England  137 

— Estimate  of  yield  from  1,500  Angoras  in  ten  years 269 

— How  to  sack  for  market   396 

— Greasy,  or  oily,  remarks  on  by  W.  G.  Hughes •226 

— Most   salable    length    259 

— Reference  to  market  value  of  272 

— In  Turkey,  what  districts  produce  the  best  434 

Montana,  reference  to   93,  294,  304 

— Range  of,  supposed  to  develop  large  frames  192 

"Montana  Stockman  and  Farmer,"   extract  from    304 

^Montgomery.   Ward   &   Co.,   reference  to  catalogue  of 168 

Moon,  A.,  statement  from  about  his  Angoras 331 

— Notes   from,    on    practical   breeding    418,  434 

Moore,   Chas.   T..   reference   to    343 

Morgan   &  Morgan,   statement  about  their  Angoras 336 

— Reference  to  clearing  brush  land 356 

— Notes   from,   on  practical   breeding    422,  433 

Morton,    T.    C..    statement   from,   about   his   Angoras 336 

— Reference    to    clearing   brush    102,  356 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  422,  433 

Moses,  reference  to 263 

Mosenthall.  A.  &  Co.,  last  importation  into  South  Africa 38 

Mothers,  how  to  manage  a  poor  one   397 

Mountain  Laurel,   reference  to    360,  365,  366 

MufTs,    reference   to    279 

]\rullin,    reference    to 356 

!\Iurphy.   T.   A.,   reference  to    343 

}iIutton.   growing  demand   for    157 

— Table  of  receipts  at  Chicago   157 

— Compared    with    cattle    .■ 157 

McCorkle,   Mr.,   reference  to    34(i 

McDonald,  James,   statement  from,   about  his  Angoras    324 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras  228 

— Reference   to   clearing   brush    361 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  413,  433 

McDougall's  dip,  reference  to 411 

Mclntire.   W.   T.,   reference   to 446.  44f^ 

^IcKee,  Wm.  R..  statement  about  his  Angoras 314 

— Reference  to  clearing  land    371 

— Notes  from  on  practical  breeding   408,  433 


Index.  XXV. 

PAGE 

McKeen,  B.  Walker,  letter  from,  about  land  in  Maine 295 

— Letter  from,   about   Angoras   in   Maine    95 

McKinley,  Hon.  Wm.,  restores  tarif?  on  mohair 162 

McKibben,  S.  S.,  reference  to  Angoras  in  Iowa  102 

— Reference  to  hornless  Angoras   102,  2.35,  448 

— Statement  from,  about  his  Angoras  336 

— Reference  to  clearing  brush   355 

—Reference  to  clearing  farm  of 348 

— Experience  in  feeding  Angoras   375 

— On   effects   of  climate    381 

— Notes  on  practical  breeding 422,  433 

IMcLendon,  J.   C.  P.,  concerning  non-shedding  Angoras 222 

— Letter  from,  concerning  breeding .  4.30 

McLean,  Dr..  opinion  as"  to  cause  of  death  in  many  cases  381 

"Nanny,"  reference  to  term  as  applied  to  goats 263,  264,  265 

Nebraska,  reference  to  Angoras  in   93 

Nettle,     reference    to 362 

Nevada,  estimated  number  of  Angoras  in 85 

New  Hampshire,   reference   to   Angoras   in    95 

— Reference  to  lands  in  296 

New  Jersey,  number  of  mohair  mills  in   130 

— Reference  to  lands  in,  suited  to  goats  298 

Nev.  Mexico,  reference  to   294,  302,  305 

— First  Angoras   introduced   into    85 

Newton,  Hon.  Isaac,  reference  to  breeding  Angoras  in  United  States,  124 

,     — Reference  to  manufacture  of  mohair  in  United  States   125 

— Reference  to  manufacture  of  Cashmere  wool    125 

Newspaper  extracts  concerning  "Davis"  goats 191 

New  York,   reference  to  Angora  goats   in 47 

— First   Angoras   introduced 69 

— Experience  in,   of  Chas.   S.   Brown    69 

— Number  of  mohair  mills   in 130 

— State  fair  committee  report  on  "Davis"  goats   191 

• — Reference  to  lands  in.  suited  to  goats 298 

Nillson,  Chris.,  statement  about  his  Angoras   340 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 428,  434 

Noilagc,    reference    to     143 

Non-shedding  Angoras   2u5,  217,  218,  221,  223,  225-31,  443 

— On    Guadulupe    Island    39 

—Letter  from  J.   C.   P.   McLendon    223 

— Letter   from   Conklin    Bros 223 

— W.    F.    Luckie,    experience    224 

— Geo.  A.   Hoerle,  experience  with 224 


xxvi.  Index. 

PAGE 

Norcup,  A.  D.,  statement  about  his  Angoras 335 

— Notes   from,   on   practical    breeding    42<>.  434 

North.  S.  N.  D..  reference  to 130 

Notes  from  practical  breeders 401  to  435 

Oak  brush,  reference  to   35(5.  350.  360,  361.  368 

Oak.  black,  reference  to  clearing   365 

Oak.  poison,   reference  to 360 

Oak,  pin,  reference  to  clearing    365 

Oak.   live,    reference   to 370.  371 

Oak.  shin,  reference  to  370.  371 

Oaks,  Jacob,  statement  about  his  Angoras    331 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  417.  434 

Obye,  Scott,  statement  about  his  Angoras 3"23 

— Reference  to  clearing  biush  land   3t)l 

— Notes   from,   on   practical    breeding    41o,  433 

Oflf-colored   goats,    reference   to    •_'09.  'Jll.  212 

Ogden.   Philo.  statement  about  his  Angoras 328 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  417.  434 

Ob.io.   reference   to   Angora   goats   in    47 

—Remarks  of  S.  S.  Williams   liO 

Oklahoma,  reference  to  Angoras  in    f'4 

Onderdonk.   Chas.   S.,  letter  from    85 

Onderdonk  Live  Stock  Co.,  reference  to   85 

— Statement  from,  about  their  goats 335 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding    420 

Oregon,  when  the  Angora  was  first  introduced   84 

— Climate  adapted  to  growing  mohr.ir    84 

^Angoras  largely  used  for  clearing  land  84 

— Angora  Goat  Breeders'  Association,  officers  of  85 

— Mohair  clip  of,  opinion  of  H.  M.  Williamson   105 

—Reference    to     291,  302.  360 

— Notes   from   breeders    in    433 

"Oregon  Agriculturist  and  Rural  Northwest."  extract  from.  .106,  295.  380 

Osage  Orange  hedge,  reference  to   64.  351 

Osborne,  J.  J.,  notes  from,  on  practical  breeding   418 

Outfit  for  shepherd    272 

Outram,  Benj.,  reference  to  manufacture  of  Alpaca 122 

Overproduction,   is   there   danger   of 159 

Ozark  Mountains,   reference  to   367 

Page's   woven-wire   fence,    reference   to    368 

Paine.  Brig. -Gen.  A.  E..  opinion  on  Cashmere  wool   ^'^i'> 

Paine.  Hon.  Thos.  H..  reference  to  lands  in  Tennessee   3o0 


Index. 


Paiseley,  Scotland,  Cashmere  wool  exported  to 192,  200.  203,  459 

Palmer,  James   B.,   reference  to    344 

Parish,  Col.  W.  D.,  purchase  of  two  imported  Angoras 49 

—Reference  to,  by  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt  76 

— Reference  to,  by  Geo.   "W.   Baylor 78 

■ — Made  no  direct  importations  from  Turkey 7*^ 

— His  first  Angoras  referred  to  by  Jno.  S.  Brown  78 

— As  a  factor  in  building  up  industry  in  Texas 78 

"Parish"  goats,  reference  to 216,  314,  315,  316,  319,  443 

Pastures,  how  to  manage  goats  in    384 

Pasturing  goats  with  other  stock,  reference  to 887 

Patterson,  James,  notes  from,  on  practical  breeding   405,  433 

Pauls,    C,   reference   to    343 

Payne,  Wm.  R.,  letter  concerning  census  of  Angoras 103 

—Reference  to  mohair  grown  in  the  United  States 105 

— Prominent  factor  in  mohair  trade 138 

— Extract   from   circular  of   208 

Peach  trees,  reference  to   369 

Peglar,  S.  H.,  description  of  Kurd  goat 26 

— Opinion  of,  as  to  pure-bred  Angoras   213 

— Reference  to   289 

— Description   of   Cashmere   .goat    456 

Pennsylvania,    reference    to    Angoras    in    47 

— Experience  of  Gen.  J.  S.  Goe  in 69 

— Experience  of  Dr.  F.   F.  Robinson   69 

—Letter  from  Miller  &  Sibley 69 

-Number  of  mohair  mills  in  130 

■ — Reference  to  lands  in,  for  goat  raising   297 

Penning  goats,  reference  to,  by  practical  breeders 4(>2  to  435 

Pens,  for  kidding,  reference  to   397 

Pepper,  Jeff,  statement  from,  about  his  Angoras  315 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 404  to  435 

Pepper,    B.    F.,   reference  to 371 

Pepperwood   brush,    reference   to    365,  366 

Persian  goats,  reference  to   455 

Pets,  reference  to 280 

Peters,  Col.  Richard,  goats,  reference  to 229 

— Extract  from  writings  of   249 

— Reference  to  breeding  grade  bucks   250 

— Reference  to  terms  applied  to  goats  265 

—Reference    to     344,  477 

— Father  of  Angora   goat   industry    20 

• — Purchases    the    "Davis"    goats    47 


xxviii.  -    Index. 

PAGE 

— Importation   of  Angoras    49 

— Biographical    sketch    of 55 

— Observations   in  breeding  and  handling 01,     63 

— Reference  to,  by  Dr.  Hayes 110 

— Experience  with   cross-breeding    177 

— Premium   awarded  to    192 

— Opinion  as  to  breed  of  the  "Davis"  goats  197,  198 

— Opinion  about  shedding  mohair 218 

"Peters"  goats,  reference  to,  by  Dr.  Jno.  Bachman 195 

—Reference  to  316,  319,  336,  343,  439,  442 

"Philadelphia  Ledger,"  extract  from  about  "Davis"  goats  202 

Phillips,  Jos.,   reference  to    300 

Piles,   reference  to    381 

— Remedy    for    381 

Place,  Mr.  W.  H.,  observations  about  milk 286 

Plaster,  Dr.  P.  C,  observations  about  Angora 95 

Plush,   amount  required  by   railroads    140 

Plum   brush,   reference   to    351 

Pleuro-pneumonia,  epidemic  in  Cape  Colony 376 

Poison  Ivy,  reference  to 365,  370 

Poison   Oak,  reference  to    365 

Poison  laurel,  reference  to 369,  370 

Poisoning  of  goats,   reference  to 382 

— Remedy    for    382 

Polled  Angora  goats 225  to  228,  231  to  233 

Pollonau,    Mons,    reference   to 458 

Pollonceau,  Mons,  reference  to   458 

Poor,  H.  v.,  reference  to  plush  used  by  lailroads  140 

Porter,  Hon.   Geo.  A.,  reference  to  Angoras   69 

Poverty  in  winter,  reference  to   380 

Practical  parts  of  the  industry    171 

Prices  of  mohair  in  England  since  1856 144 

"Presbyterian  Herald,"  extract  from    202 

Products  from  mohair    126 

— From   mohair  that   are    standard    131 

Profits  on  1,500  Mexican  does   269 

Profits  on  1,500  Angora  does   270 

Province  of  Angora,   description  of 31 

Puppy  raised  by  a  goat  very  useful  392 

Pure-bred  vs.  full-blood 248,  249,  250,  251,  254,  255 

Pushm,   or  fur,  from   Cashmeres    29 

Quatrefages,   M.  de,  reference  to    245,  250 


Index.  xxix. 

PAGE 

Randall,   Dr.,   reference   to    245 

Range  for  goats,  reference  to 293,  294 

^Number  of  acres  required  for  handling 389 

— How  to  handle  on  the  open , 389 

"Ram,"  reference  to  term  as  applied  to  goats 263,  265 

Rations  for  shepherds,   cost  of 272 

Rattle-snake  bites,  reference  to   382 

—Remedy    for    382 

Rebeka,  reference  to   263 

Redwood,    reference   to    362 

Register  for  Angora  goats,  opinion  of  breeders  402  to  435 

— Chapter    on     442 

Registration    qualifications    • 447 

Regnault,  Mons.,  analysis  of  milk 285 

Regsby,   John,    reference   to 343 

Rennick,  James,  committee  report  on  "Davis  goats 191 

Rex,  John,  reference  to  goats  owned  by 180 

Rhode  Island,  number  of  mohair  mills  in 130 

Richter,  Wm.,  notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 416,  434 

Rippey,  J.  R.,  letter  from,  concerning  Missouri 68,  113 

Kocky  Mountain  goats,  reference  to 188,  241 

—Description   of    463 

Rodgers,  James  M.,  reference  to 83 

Rogers,   Frank  H.,  reference  to    293,  294 

— Remarks  on  clearing  brush  360 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  412,  433 

Rugs,  made  from  Angora  goat  skins   150 

— Made  from  Chinese  goat  skins   168 

—Illustration    of 277 

—Natural   shaped    279 

Ruepple,   Charles,  reference  to    343 

Ruime,   R.   H.,   reference  to , . . . .  343 

Rusk,  Hon.  J.  M.,  reference  to  151,  152,  157 

Rymerson,  Col.,  reference  to   436 

Sacking  mohair,  how  it  is  done 396 

Saddle  pockets,  reference  to  279 

Saddle  girths,  reference  to 28(5 

Saddle  blankets,  reference  to 280 

Sallall,  reference  to  360 

Salmon  berry  brush,   reference  to 360 

Salt,  Sir  Titus,  first  importation  of  Angoras  into  England  34 

— Co-operates  in  building  up  South  African  industry   35 

— Benefits  resulting  from  his  enterprise  121 


XXX.  Index. 

PAGE 

— First  experiment  with  Alpaca 122 

— Erection  of  mohair  mills  in  Bradford   123 

Salt,  reference  to  the  use  of 384,  389 

Sargent   Bros.,   reference   to 339 

Scab,  reference  to    376,  378 

— Asiatic,  reference  to 378 

— Remedy  for  378 

Schreiner,  S.  C,  extract  from,  concerning  crossing   16 

— Extract  from,  concerning  early  Angoras 41 

— Extract  from,   concerning  Australia    50 

— On  effects  of  crossing  v  ith  the  common  goat  187 

— Extract  from,  concerning  hornless  goats 232 

— Remarks    on    pleuro-pneumonia    376 

— Concerning  cross-breeding  in  Turkey 253,  254 

— Remarks  on  scab,  in  Cape  Colony 378 

— Reference  to  terms  applied  to  Angora  goats 265 

— Remarks  on  South  African  Angoras   444 

Schaffer,   Dr.  Geo.  L.,  microscopic  examination  of  hair   200 

Scott,  Col.  Robt.  W..  observations  of,  on  the  Angora  goat 64 

— Reference  to,  by  Dr.   Hayes    110 

— Description  of  .A.ngora  with  two  coats  of  hair  207 

— .\bout  shedding  of  mohair  218 

— Reference   to   full-bloods    255 

— Reference  to   kemp    256 

— Reference  to  terms  applied  to  Angoras   265 

"Scott"  goats,  reference  to  319,  336,  439,  442 

Scours,   reference   to    380 

—Remedy    for    380 

Screw-worm,   reference  to 379 

— Remedy    for    379 

Seever.  Wm.  J.,  reference  to  industry  in  Missouri   68 

— Statement  from,  concerning  his  Angoras  343 

— Reference  to  clearing  weeds  .  . .  _. 367 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  426,  434 

Selecting  does 248 

Shearing,   observations   of  J.    P.    Devine   in   1877 77 

—Goats    145 

— Importance  of  shearing  machines   145 

— Capacity,    reference   to 260,  271 

—Reference   to    271,  384 

— How  regulated  as  to  season 394 

— Twice  a  year,  reference  to 395,  402  to  435 

■    — Uangs  of  Texas,  system  of   395 

— Machine,  reference  to   395 


Index.  xxxi. 

PAGE 

— Capacity  of  best  Angoras  in  Turkey   445 

— Losses  sustained  by  want  of  shelter,  during 396 

— Sheds,  how  to  construct  396 

Sheds,  reference  to  375,  384,  390 

— Portable,  reference  to   390 

— For  shearing,   reference  to 396 

Shedding  goats,  reference  to,  by  breeders 402  to  435 

Shedding  of  mohair,   reference   to 218 

— At  different  seasons  of  the  year 222 

— Sheep,  reference  to   224 

Sheep,  receipts  of,  in  Chicago  for  thirty-three  years 158 

Sheep,  and  Angoras,  will  not  interbreed   387 

Shelley,  Dr.  Chas.  Edward,  reference  to  goats'  milk 290 

Shelter,  necessity  for,  at  times  384,  390 

— Economy    in    building    384 

— Opinions  of  breeders  on , .  . .  .402  to  435 

Shepherd's    outfit,    cost   of    272 

— Rations,    cost   of    272 

— Dogs,   not  always  advisable  to  use    392 

Shin  oak.  reference  to 370,  371 

Shivland  &  Thomas  import  Angoras  into  California   83 

Sires,    vSelection    of 248 

Skins,   description  of  Asiatic  goat 28 

—Reference  to,  by  Dr.  M.  Barrett 67 

— Used  for  rugs 127 

— Angora,  how  to  prepare  for  market  147 

— How  they   are   graded    147 

—Turkish,  value  of  147 

— Cape  of  Good  Hope,  value  of  147 

— American  value   of   147 

—From    the    kid    147 

—Tariff    on     166,  167 

— Largely  used  by  furriers    148 

— Formula    for    dressing    485 

— Asiatic    goats    169 

Sligo  Furnace  Co.,  reference  to  343 

Smith.  C.  D.,  letter  concerning  Michigan   94 

Solomon,  reference  to 264 

Somerville.   Lord,   reference  to    173 

Sore  feet,  reference  to 380 

South  Carolina,  first  to  handle  Angoras   52 

—Letter  from   Col.   J.   Wash.   Watts    53 

South  Africa,  tax  on  exporting  Angoras   106 

— Compared   v,  ith   the   United   States    115 

— Imports  of  mohair  from 137,  138 


Imic. 


PAGE 

South  African  breeders,  reference  to  buying  bucks 260 

"Southern  Central  Agricultural  Association,"  report  of  committee.  .   195 

"Southern  Farmer,"  letter  to.  from  Col.  W.  W.  Haupt 211 

— Extract    from     '. 255 

Southgate,   Bishop,   reference  to 205 

Spain,  first  introduction  of  Angoras  into 34 

Smith,  F.  G.,  reference  to  clearing  brush  362 

— Notes   from,    on  practical   breeding 414,  434 

Spofiford,  Dr.  F.  A.,  reference  to  Dakota  93 

Spinning  of  mohair  explained 129 

Standley,  Dr.  J.  R.,  statement  about  his  Angoras  336 

— Credit  due,  for  introducing  goats  as  brush  cleaners   20 

—Reference    to     336,  343,  348,  355 

— Purchase  of  the  "Peters"   goats 62 

— Paper   from,    on   clearing   brush    351 

— Reference  to  clearing  brush   96 

— Reference  to  dipping  for  lice .- 383 

— Biographical  sketch  of   96 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 421,  433 

— Certificate  of  merit  concerning  mohair   101 

— In  connection  with  American  Angora  Goat  Breeders'  Ass'n.  .  446 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras  229 

"Standley"  goats,  reference  to   336,  343 

Standard  grades  for  mohair   141,  153 

Staking  kids,  how  it  was  done 397 

Sterne,  Laurence,  quotation  from  394 

Stewart,  D.  C,  &  Sons,  reference  to 324 

Stewart,  Henry,  extract  from  240 

Stump,  Hon.  J.  B.,  reference  to 85 

Stiles,    Hon.    W.    H.,   reference  to    50,243 

"Stockman  and  Farmer,"  extract  from   445 

Stockwell,  Hon.  J.  W.,  letter  about  Massachusetts  297 

Sumac   brush,    reference   to 355,  367,  370,  371 

Sulphur  and  lime  378,  383 

Sweet,  Maj.  W.  E.,  reference  to  Asiatic  scab 378 

Sumner  Cashmere  Co.,  experience  of." 68 

"Sumner    (Tenn.)    Flag,"   extract   from 203 

Table  showing  increase  of  Angoras,  by  Sir  Sam'l  Wilson  112 

— Of  mohair  growing  districts  in  Turkey 183 

— Of  profits  on  1,500  Mexican  does  269 

— Of  profits  on  1,500  Angora  does 270 

— Referring  to  shearing  capacity  of  Angoras  in  United  States,  308,  309 

Tabulated   list   of   replies   from   breeders    433,434,435 


Index.  xxxiu. 

PAGE 

Tanning  the   Angora   goat   skin    485 

Tape-worm^    remedy   for    379 

Tariff  on  Angoras,  exported  from  Cape  Colony 106,  164 

— Embargo  on  exporting  from  Turkey  36,  164 

— Reference  to,  as  a  means  of  encouraging  the  American  industry,  131 

— On   mohair   at   present   time    161 

— General  purpose  of    163 

— On   live   goats    165 

— On    goat    skins    166 

— On  goat  skins,  who  are  benefitted  now   168 

— On  Mexican  goats  and  mohair,  referred  to  by  B.  L.  Crouch.  .  406 

Tate,  A.  R.,  reference  to  cleaning  brush  land   356 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  421,  433 

399 


Tattooing,   reference   to    

Taylor,   D.   C,   reference  to    85 

— Remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras  229 

— Statement   from,    concerning   his   Angoras 332 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding   419,  434 

TchihatchefT,  M.,  reference  to  cross-breeding  in  Turkey  216 

Teeth  of  the  Angora  goat   372 

Tennessee,  observations  on  breeding  in,  by  Col.  R.  Williamson 68 

— Opinion   of   Brig.-Gen.    E.    A.    Paine    68 

— Reference  to  Angoras  in,  by  Hon.  I.  H.  Diehl 47,     68 

—Reference  to  area  for  goat  raising    300 

—Opinion  of  W.  G.  Hughes  as  to  advantages  of  300 

Ternaux,  Baron,  reference  to  crossing  the  Cashmer  and  Angora  ....  458 

Terms  to  be  applied  to  Angoras   -63 

Terrell,    Mr.,    reference    to 344 

Tessier.   Mons.,  concerning  Cashmere   goats  in   France    458 

Texas,  reference  to  Angoras  in,  by  Hon.  I.  H.  Diehl   47 

— Notes    from   breeders    in    433 

— Estimated  number  of  goats  in ''^9 

Texas.  West,  advantages  of,  for  goat  raising   293 

— Rental  of  lands    298 

—Cost    of    landte    in 298 

294 


-How   to   acquire   lands   in. 


—Reference   to   brush   land    in    370 

"Texas    Stockman    and    Farmer,"    extract    from 445 

Thibet  goat,  reference  to 188,  196,  197,  202,  203,  205,  206,  455 

Thistle,  Canada,  reference  to 347,  361,  368 

Thistles,    reference    to    • 356,  361,  362,  366 

Thimbleberry   brush,    reference   to 360 

Thomas  &  Cook,  prominence  in  English  mohair  trade   136 

Thomas,    Hon.    Frances,    concerning   Alpacas    476 


Index. 


PAGE 

Thompson,    John    R.,    reference    to    230 

Tiftik,     reference    to 117 

Tobacco  and  corrosive  sublimate  as  a  remedy  for  scab 378,  383 

Tom,  Oscar,  remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras  229 

"Tom"  goats,  reference  to   323 

Tom.  Oscar,  statement  about  his  Angorr.  goats    324 

— Reference    to    clearing   brush   land    362 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding -ti2,  433 

Tongue,  Hon.  Thos.  H..  reference  to  clearing  brush   359 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 409,  433 

—Letter  to,   from   Hon.    H.   S.   Jev  ett    445 

Toothless    Angoras,    reference    to 373 

Top,    reference    to    143 

Tour  de  Aignes,   M.   de  la,  reference  to* 34,  244,  247 

Tournefort.   M.,   report  to  French  king  iibout  Angoras    34 

Tower,   C.    M.,   reference  to   Cashmere   goats    45(3,   458 

Trapping  wild  animals  400 

Tschudi,   reference  to  the   Ibex 481 

Turkey,  imports  of  mohair  from,  into  England   137,  138 

Turkeyberry    brush,    reference    to    351 

Tuberculosis,    reference   to    289 

Tuft   in    forehead,    reference    to 259 

Turkish    system    of   grading   mohair    142 

— Angora    goat   skns,    value   of 147 

— Angora    goat    skins,    how    prepared 147 

Tuthill,    C.    D.,   introduces   first  Angoras   into   Minnesota    93 

— Reference    to    clearing    brush    land 368 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding   425,  434 

7'uttle,   Dr.,   statement  concerning  his  Angoras    340 

— Reference   to   clearing  brush  land    366 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 427,  434 

Twin  kids,  reference  to  by  breeders 402  to  435 

Tyson,  Mr.,  on  feeding  Angora  goats 155 

—Of  Blair,   Neb.,   on   feeding  Angoras    375 

United  States,  first  introduction  of  Angoras    34,  45 

— Product   of   mohair   in 104,  138 

—Advantages    of    climate    138 

— Agricultural   Society  report   on   "Davis"   goats 192 

— Number  of  Angora  goals  in    104 

Utah,    reference    to    Angoras    in 92 

—Reference    to     302 

— Notes   from   breeders   in 435 

Utrecht  velvet,  number  of  men  employed   in  making :26 

— Largely   used   for  United   States   r-nilroad   cars 128 


Index.  XXXV. 

PAGE 

Value   of  mohair,   how   to   determine    143 

Van    Hosear,    D.    H.,    reference    to 344 

Vat,  for  dipping  Angoras,   how  to  construct    393 

Venison,    Angora,    opinon    concerning    35 

— As   a   salable   product    154 

— Opinion    of   Dr.    John    Bachman    155 

— Superiority  over  common  goat   158 

— Reference  to  term  applied  to  meat   266 

Vermont,    reference    to    Angoras    in    95 

— Reference  to  area  for  goat  raising   296 

Virginia,  first  Angoras  introduced  into 66 

— Reference  of  Dr.  Hayes  to  Col.  Herman  Haupt  6C) 

— Observations  of  F.   S.    Fulmer   66 

— Observations    of   Dr.    M     Barnett    {](] 

— Reference  to  area  in,  for  goat  raising 299 

Wakeley's    dip,    reference    to 411 

Walker,  John,   reference  to  breeding  in   Missouri 68,  113 

Walker,  D.  A.,  statement  about  his  Angoras   324 

— Remarks    on    non-shedding   Angor^-S    229 

— Reference  to  clearing  brush   360 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  410,  433 

Walnut,    reference   to   goats   clearing    367 

Washington,    reference   to   Angoras   in      92 

— Reference   to    area   for   goats    in 301,302 

Water,  influence  of  in  developing  animals 186 

— Very  necessary  for   goats    389 

Water  Oxen  imported  by  Dr.  Davis  206 

Watts,  Col.  J.  Wash.,  reference  to  importation  of  Mr.  Stiles  50 

— Letter   from,    concerning   Angora    industry    53 

— Reference  to   milch  goats 287 

— Reference  to   Maltese   goats    243,  244 

— Reference   to   clearing  brush    369 

— Reference  to  breeding  grade  bucks   2.50 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding    431,  435 

Watts,    Hon. 'Frederick,    reference    to    Alpacas    476 

Watts,  John  D.,  reference  to   369 

Wattles,    reference   to    260 

Weeds,  removal  of,  by  Angoras  352,  355,  356,  367,  368 

"Weekly  American  Banner,"  of  Yazoo,  Miss.,  extract  from   201 

Weiting,  Hon.  Chas.  A.,  letter  concerning  land  in  New  York   298 

Weistrand,  E.,  statement  about  his  Angoras   332 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding    420.  434 

Wells,   cost   of  digging,   in   New   Mexico 421 


xxxvi.  Index. 

PAGE 

West    Virginia,    reference    to 299 

Wether  goats,  experience  of  breeders  in  selling 402  to  435 

Wether,  term  applied  to  Angoras   265 

Wethers,  hard  to  sell  in  large  numbers   114 

White,  Mrs.  H.  K.,  letter  concerning  Dr.  Davis 45 

—Letter  concerning  "Davis"  goats 198,  204 

Whitefire  brush,  reference  to  366 

Wheat  screenngs,  as  a  feed  for  goats  374 

Weinaud,  Mr.,  advocates  export  duty  in  South  Africa  108 

Wilcox,  A.  G.,  reference  to  clearing  brush  368 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 425,  434 

Wild  animals,  reference  to    399 

— How  to  poison    400 

— Reference  to,  by  breeders 404  to  435 

Wild   cat,    reference    to 387,  399 

Wilder,  James,  remarks  on  non-shedding  Angoras 229 

— Statement  from,  about  his  Angoras 328 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding  418,  434 

Wild  goat,  reference  to 241 

Williams,  E.   R.,  reference  to  clearing  brush 362 

— Notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 418,  434 

Williams,  S.  S.,  remarks  about  Cashmere  goats  6S 

— Reference  to  goats  ovined  by   206 

Williamson,  H.  M.,  letter  from  about  census  of  Angoras 105 

Williamson,  Col.  R.,  observations  on  breeding 68 

Williamson,    Adams    &    Co.    goats    described 199 

Wilson,  Hon.  John,  interest  manifested  in  Angora  industry 108 

Wilson,  Sir  Samuel,  reference  to  Australia   Ill 

— Estimate  of  increase  in  Australia    112 

— Reference  to  Cashmere  goats 457 

— Opinion  concerning  improvement 459 

Wimmer,  J.  M.,  statement  about  his  Angoras  331 

— Notes  on  practical  breeding  414,  434 

Winter  feeding,   observatons  of  Col.   Scott    64 

Witch   hazel   brush,    reference   to 351 

Withycombe,  Dr.,  opinion  on  reported  disease   380 

Wolf,  reference  to   387,  399 

Wood,  C.  B.,  reference  to 344 

Woodward,  N.,  statement  about  his  Angcras   323 

— Reference   to    clearing   brush 359 

— Notes  on  practical  breeding  413,  433 

Woodlief,  W.   H.,  reference  to 446 

Wool,  system  of  selling  criticised  152 

Worms  in  Angoras    379 


Index.  xxxvii. 

PAGE 

— Screw     3 '  9 

— Tape     ^ '  "^ 

• — ^Remedy  for  tapeworm    ^'^^ 

Woven-wire  fencing 351,  368,  387 

Wyatt,  Robt.   H.,  statement  about  his  Angoras   319 

— Notes   from,   on   practical   breeding    402,  438 

Wyoming,  reference  to  Angoras  in 92 

"4  —Reference  to 294 

— Notes  from  breeders  in    ...  434 

Yarn,  mohair,  chief  use  of   129 

Young,    Brigham,    introduces   Angoras    into    Utah 92 

Young,  J.  K.,  notes  from,  on  practical  breeding 430,  435 

Zinoleum    dip,    reference   to 427 

Zwart  Ruggens  Association  opposes  export  tax  in  South  Africa 106 


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